The edible center is sometimes compared with a chestnut because of its texture and mild, slightly nutty flavor. It may be eaten as a snack or added to soups, rice dishes, stir-fries, porridge, and traditional sweets. In parts of South Asia, especially India, water caltrops known as singhara are also dried and ground into flour for various traditional foods.
It is important to remember that water caltrops are not the same as Chinese water chestnuts, Eleocharis dulcis. Despite the similar name, Chinese water chestnuts are aquatic sedges that produce edible underground corms, while water caltrops are fruits produced by Trapa plants.
