Edinburgh, UK – September 21, 2026 – A taste of rural China arrived on the streets of Edinburgh recently, as a cultural exchange initiative brought a traditional ingredient from Zhejiang province to Scotland — and invited passers-by to try a dessert with a royal history.

As part of the “Jiande and the World: Sharing the Beauty” cultural exchange initiative, a Chinese content creator set up a street stall in Edinburgh, introducing locals to Liye white lotus seeds, a speciality from Jiande in western Zhejiang, China. The ingredient was used to prepare lotus flower jelly, a chilled Chinese dessert made with lotus-leaf tea and a sweet lotus-seed filling. With its translucent tea jelly and soft, mildly sweet centre, the dessert quickly attracted the attention of people passing by. For many of those who stopped to taste it, the lotus-seed filling was something entirely new.

The creator explained that both the filling and the tea jelly came from different parts of the same plant. Lotus seeds were used inside the dessert, while lotus leaves were brewed to make the tea jelly. Lotus root starch was also prepared on site, offering another example of how different parts of the lotus plant have long been used in Chinese food culture. What began as a street tasting therefore became a small, informal lesson in Chinese culinary tradition.

The cultural exchange did not go one way. In return, Scottish participants shared a local favourite of their own: traditional all-butter Scottish biscuits. On an Edinburgh street, the delicate flavour of lotus met the rich, buttery taste of a Scottish biscuit — turning a simple food tasting into an exchange between two culinary traditions.

A lotus with a royal history

Behind the tasting was an ingredient with a history stretching back around a thousand years.

Jiande, in Zhejiang province, is known in China as a major centre of lotus-seed cultivation. The area’s history of growing lotus can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, which ruled China from the 7th to the early 10th century. By the Southern Song period, lotus seeds produced around Liye had become recognised as a tribute to the imperial court.

Historical records also associate white lotus seeds with Bazhen Tang, or “Eight-Treasure Soup”, a traditional court dish in which white lotus was regarded as a prized ingredient. For visitors in Edinburgh, that gives the dessert an unusual backstory: the same traditional ingredient once destined for the imperial table is now being introduced through a modern street-food exchange. Liye white lotus seeds are prized for their relatively large, rounded appearance, pale colour and delicate flavour. They are also known for becoming soft when cooked while retaining their shape. The product has since received China’s Geographical Indication Product recognition, reflecting its regional identity and production tradition. The ingredient has also travelled beyond Jiande before. During the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, Liye white lotus seeds were among the local products presented as gifts to international leaders.

From a local crop to a wider industry

Lotus cultivation is also an important part of the local economy.

In Daciyan Town, Jiande, where lotus production is concentrated, more than 7,800 mu of land — roughly 520 hectares — is used for standardised lotus cultivation. The town’s lotus-related industry has an output value approaching RMB 400 million. The crop is increasingly being used beyond fresh lotus seeds. Local producers have developed a growing range of products, including lotus-leaf tea, lotus-seed wine and other processed foods. Fresh lotus flowers and fruit lotus products have also found markets beyond the local area, creating a broader industry around a crop that has been cultivated in the region for centuries.

For Jiande, the lotus is therefore more than a traditional food. It has become part of a modern agricultural and cultural story, linking local production with tourism, food innovation and international cultural exchange.

A taste exchanged across borders

The Edinburgh event offered a simple way of presenting that story to an international audience. Rather than introducing Chinese culture through a formal exhibition or presentation, the exchange began with something much more immediate: food.

A lotus seed grown in the hills of western Zhejiang travelled thousands of miles to Edinburgh, where it became the centre of a conversation between strangers. In return, Scottish participants introduced their own local flavour through all-butter biscuits. The result was a small but tangible example of cultural exchange — one that began with two foods from very different places meeting on the same street. For a moment, a 1,000-year-old Chinese ingredient found a new audience in Scotland, while a taste of Scotland travelled in the opposite direction.

Sometimes, cultural exchange can begin with something as simple as sharing a bite.

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About Us

Publicity Department of CPC Jiande Municipal Committee coordinates the city image communication and cultural development of Jiande. The department organizes diverse cultural exchange activities to share stories of Jiande and showcase its unique urban charm.

Media Contact
Company Name: Publicity Department of CPC Jiande Municipal Committee
Contact Person: Bu Jin
Email: Send Email
Country: China
Website: https://www.jiande.gov.cn/