The Chestnut pot

The water chestnut is actually not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes, underwater in the mud. Water chestnuts have a crisp white flesh and can be eaten raw, slightly boiled, or grilled, and are often pickled or tinned. They are a popular ingredient in Chinese dishes.  They are unusual among vegetables for remaining crisp even after being cooked or canned, because their cell walls are cross-linked and strengthened by certain phenolic compounds. The corms are rich in carbohydrates (about 90 percent by dry weight), especially starch (about 60 percent by dry weight), and are also a good source of dietary fibre, potassium, copper, and manganese.

Water chestnuts

Raw water chestnuts are slightly sweet and very crunchy. Boiled water chestnuts have a firm and slightly crunchy texture, with a flavor that is very mild and slightly nutty, so it can be easily overpowered by any seasonings or sauces with which the water chestnut is served or cooked. Water chestnuts are often combined with bamboo shoots, coriander, ginger, sesame oil, and snow peas. They are often used in pasta or rice dishes.

Teapots having a water chestnut design is not uncommon in Yixing. The renown female potter of Yixing by the name of Jiang Rong 蒋蓉 had created a teapot modelled on a chestnut and received recognition for her creativity and skills in teapot making. Many other potters have since imitated that design for years.

Here I have a chestnut pot made by Chang Jianzong, a nephew of Jiang Rong, who studied the Yixing art of pottery from her.  The teapot was made under the supervision of Jiang Rong as indicated by the seal at the bottom of the pot.

蒋蓉外甥及徒弟张建中老师，一把非常高档的壶品名：荸荠壶 ：张建中*蒋蓉外甥及徒弟 底款：张建中制