Lily Bulbs
21 February 2009
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Ingredient Name: Lily Bulbs also known as lilium
Traditional Chinese Name: 百合 (Bai He)
What is this?
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The bulbous root of the lily plant which grows submerged in some depth in the soil
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It is an edible, starch-like bulb that is sweet to taste, although some species can be quite bitter
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Lily bulbs are most commonly cultivated and sold in the Chinese culture and used as a luxury or health food
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Lily bulbs are said to be cool and relieve heatiness
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Lily bulbs can be found in sweet soups, savory soups, and various Asian dishes
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If used in soups, it will thicken the soup is boiled too long since the bulb flakes will disintegrate and “melt” into the soup
How do I prepare it?
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Dried lily bulb flakes will need to be rinsed in warm water and can be directly used to soups
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Fresh lily bulbs need to be thoroughly washed as the bulbs contain a fair amount of dirt
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Ideally, remove each bulb leave and scrub under running warm water
Where can I buy this?
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You can purchase this in most Asian supermarkets dried or frozen
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At the wet mart, you can purchase this fresh from the vegetable vendors
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Chinese pharmacies will also carry this dried
What is the cost?
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A package of 3 fresh lily bulbs from the wet mart costs around $5-8 HKD/pack
Any benefits?
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Lily bulbs are said to help nourish the lungs and relieve coughs
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They are high in protein, starch and plenty of vitamins
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Lily bulbs help reduce internal heat and is often consumed in the summer months
Any precautions?
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Although lily bulbs are defined as “cool” and not “cold”, it is a precaution to consume too much if you are concerned with relieving too much heatiness (ie: for pregnant women under 3 months in term or if you are menstruating)
Additional Information?
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Frozen lily bulbs are good to keep for up to 1 months in the freezer
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Dried lily bulb flakes can kept in the fridge for up to 6 months
References:
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Your soups all look very nice, thank you. What is grass carp fish in Chinese/Cantonese/dialect? Thanks a lot.
Carol, grass carp (http://www.thechinesesouplady.com/grass-carp-fish/) is called in Cantonese “WAN YUE” (“WAN” is pronounced like “WAND” in English without the D and “YUE” sounds like “YOU” in English with a slight modifcation in tone, but hard to explain). Hope this helps. Lisa
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