The edible seeds, called fox nuts or makhana, are dried,[a] and eaten predominantly in Asia.

The leaves are large, round and peltate, often more than a meter (3 feet) across, with a leaf stalk attached in the centre of the lower surface.

[13][page needed] In India, more than 96,000 hectares of Bihar, where it is called Mithila Makhana, were set aside for cultivation of Euryale in 1990–1991.

[12] In the northern and western parts of India, Euryale ferox seeds are often roasted or fried, which causes them to pop like popcorn.

[12] Evidence from archaeobotany indicates that Euryale ferox was a frequently collected wild food source during the Neolithic period in the Yangtze region, with many finds from the sites of Kuahuqiao, Hemudu, and Tianluoshan.

[17] The earliest recorded use of E. feroxis from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel, among artifacts of the Acheulean culture 750–790,000 years ago.

[10] Fox nuts have traditionally been harvested by diving without breathing equipment to a depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) in freshwater ponds.

In the 21st century, the National Research Centre for Makhana has pioneered the plant's cultivation in fields flooded to a depth of 1 foot (0.30 m) which makes production and harvesting easier.

The centre has developed a more productive variety, increasing farm income, and is designing a harvesting machine.

[24] Euryale ferox is a perennial plant native to a range from northern India to Taiwan and far eastern Russia.