Flecha de agua

Braised together, the corm takes on the fat and loses most of its own bitterness.

A long braise in dark soy is the standard New Year treatment, sweet enough to cover the bitter edge.

Candied whole, it becomes a sweet snack instead of a savoury side, bitterness and all.

Warm spice in the braising liquid is what makes a bitter corm taste festive.

Sliced thin and stir-fried, it behaves like a starchier, more bitter water chestnut.

A dry-fried version leans on the spice mix to cover what plain seasoning cannot.

Heat and fat are a shortcut past a bitterness some diners never fully accept.

Glazed instead of braised, sweetness alone can beat the bitterness if the slices are thin enough.

Bitter root against bitter cocoa, two bitternesses that agree rather than cancel out.