Why do Chinese people eat lotus leaf charcoal? To make lotus leaf charcoal, they start by harvesting lotus leaves in the summer, when the leaves are richest in essential oils. After being thoroughly washed, the leaves are tied at the stems and hung to dry naturally. Once completely dried, the leaves are stacked inside a large cast-iron pot around a wooden rod the size of a wrist. To prevent oxidation from air exposure, which would render the leaves ineffective, a mixture of clay and saltwater is