The brainchild of self-described foodie and Mountain View, CA, resident Sruti Jilla, who fell in love with roasted lotus seeds on one of her trips to India, Lotus Pops are now available online and in selected stores in the Bay area, said her husband and business partner Nisheeth Gupta.
The seeds are collected from the fruit of the lotus plant – an aquatic plant that grows in northeast India (among other places) – oven popped, and then roasted with ghee and spices (there are five flavors: Paprika & Garlic, Sweet Chilli, Salt, Pepper & Turmeric, Salted Caramel, and Himalayan Pink Salt).
Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA from the New Brands on the Shelf pavillion at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this week, Gupta said: “We were one of the first companies to introduce lotus seeds to the US market [other brands in this space include Rooted, Nuto, Rani and Swad – some of whom describe them as ‘puffed foxnuts’ or ‘Phool Makhana’].
“We say it’s a great alternative to popcorn, let's call it a paleo popcorn,” he added. “It has a lot of health benefits, it’s low GI, a good source of minerals and fiber and it’s great for guilt-free snacking. It’s naturally gluten-free, no corn, no soy."
Each one ounce bag of Lotus Pops contains 120 calories.
Ingredients (Himalayan Pink Salt flavor): Lotus Seeds (Foxnut seeds), Ghee (Clarified Butter), Himalayan Pink Salt