Euryale feroxSalisb. (prickly water lily) is the only extent of the genus Euryale that has been widely distributed in China, India, Korea, and Japan. The seeds ofE. ferox(EFS) have been categorized as superior food for 2000 years in China, based on their abundant nutrients including polysaccharides, polyphenols, sesquineolignans, tocopherols, cyclic dipeptides, glucosylsterols, cerebrosides, and triterpenoids. These constituents exert multiple pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antibacterial, anticancer, antidepression, and hepatoprotective properties. There are very few summarized reports onE. ferox, albeit with its high nutritional value and beneficial activities. Therefore, we collected the reported literature (since 1980), medical classics, database, and pharmacopeia ofE. ferox, and summarized the botanical classification, traditional uses, phytochemicals, and pharmacological effects ofE. ferox, which will provide new insights for further research and development of EFS-derived functional products.