Euryale ferox Benot Ya'aqov, Israel, among artifacts of the Acheulean culture 790-750,000 years ago. The seeds of foxnut are used in Ayurveda preparations. In Chinese, the plant is called "qiàn shí" (). Its edible seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where they are often cooked in soups along with other ingredients. Euryale ferox Euryale ferox (common names, fox nut, foxnut, gorgon nut or makhana) is the only extant species in the genus Euryale. It is a flowering plant classified in the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, although it is occasionally regarded as a distinct family, Euryalaceae. Unlike other water lilies, the pollen
Euryale ferox India, were set aside for cultivation of "Euryale" in 1990-1991. The plant grows best in locations with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Seeds are collected in the late summer and early autumn, and may be eaten raw or cooked. In India, in the northern (Punjab) and western parts of the country, "Euryale ferox" seeds are often roasted or fried, which causes them to pop like popcorn. These are then eaten, often with a sprinkling of oil and spices. In Indian plains along Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar (Mithila culture of Mithilanchal), makhana is an auspicious ingredient in