The Carb Count Of Water Chestnuts

Water chestnut is a staple of Asian and Indian cuisine. It grows as the submerged corm of an annual aquatic sedge in bogs and at the edge of ponds. One hundred grams, or 3.52 ounces, of dry water chestnut contain 84.8 g of carbohydrates with equal amounts of sugar and starch. A 100 g portion also contains 7.4 g of protein, 3.2 g of fiber, 0.7 g of fat and a total of 360 calories.

Flour

The carbohydrates in water chestnut can produce flour, but the milling requires more preparation than cereal flour does. The water chestnut corm is boiled, peeled, dried and then ground to make the flour. Flours vary in color, and a darker shade of flour indicates that the peeling of the corm was not completely removed. At market, white flours should be chosen for thickening sauces and preparing desserts, although darker flours can be used to make crispy batters for fried foods.

Starch

Starch isolated from water chestnut flour contains 85 percent amylopectin and 15 percent amylose. Amylopectin is a long-chain polymer with many branches, but amylose is smaller and generally straight-chained. The molecular characters of starch in water chestnut flour determine the amount of gumminess or gel hardness developed when the starch is cooked.

Cake Recipe

Fresh water chestnuts are eaten raw in areas where they grow, but cooked desserts made from the flour are delicious and have a translucent, gelatin-like appearance. A typical cake recipe requires boiling water chestnut flour in water on the stovetop, and then flavoring it with brown sugar and ginger or other spices as the mixture simmers to a pasty texture. The batter is then steamed rather than baked.

Crunchy Antioxidants

Water chestnut retains its characteristic crunchy texture after cooking in soups or stews because its cell wall polymers are cross-linked with ferulate bridges. Ferulic acid is a common phenolic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is also a component of lignin, the polymer that provides structure to woody plant cell walls. Ferulic acid is a uniquely strong antioxidant. Its central benzene ring structure supports an unsaturated side chain that can donate hydrogen to stabilize free radicals.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin and mineral quality of water chestnut varies with the growing environment and stage of maturity. One hundred grams of dry water chestnut contains from 18 mg to 32 mg of vitamin C, 299 mg to 407 mg of phosphorus; 2,304 mg to 2,545 mg of potassium; 18.4 mg to 26.5 mg of calcium; 4.6 mg to 5.3 mg of niacin; 53 mg to 92 mg of Vitamin A; 2.8 mg to 3.7 mg of iron; 0.16 mg to 0.65 mg of thiamine; and 0.11 mg to 0.92 mg of riboflavin.