Today at the office I learned about a Malaysian tradition associated with the Mid-Autumn festival -- the boiling and eating of a special type of water chestnut.Here they are called ling kio. In English they are called water caltrops.
My colleague even had one to show me. Wow, I'd never seen anything like it before. It's the scariest nut ever.
The connection with the holiday is based on a legend in which an immortal fairy falls in love with a human cow herder. Against the rules, they get married. As punishment they are separated and only get to see each other once a year - during the moon festival. The shape of the nuts are a reminder of the story.
I think they would be awesome things to hand out during Halloween, especially in Austin, TX.
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