Lily Bulb
Pinyin: Bǎihé · traditional food ingredient
AT A GLANCE
The white, layered bulb that gives sweet soups their silk — the tradition's 'moistener' for dry throats, restless sleep and autumn air.
The traditional view
Lily bulb (Bǎihé, 百合) is classified sweet and slightly cold, associated with heart and lung systems — the tradition's answer to dryness: it moistens the lung and calms the spirit, which is why it appears in both cough remedies and sleep congees.
Fresh lily is seasonal (autumn); dried lily bulbs are the year-round pantry form — soaked before cooking.
How it is used in the kitchen
Lily & snow fungus soup: lily 20 g, snow fungus 50 g, rock sugar — the classic autumn bowl for dry throat.
Steamed pear with lily: one pear cored, lily 10 g and rock sugar inside, steamed 20 minutes.
Lily egg custard (百合花鸡蛋羹): fresh lily 25 g, eggs 4, spinach and a light broth — from the food-therapy reference (贫血 chapter).
Who should go easy
Slightly cold by tradition — those who run cold (loose stools, cold hands) may pair it with ginger or enjoy it in smaller amounts.
Classic source
《百病食疗大全》 collects lily across anemia, cough and insomnia chapters; the name 百合 literally means 'hundred joined,' for the bulb's layered shape.
Questions people actually ask
What is lily bulb used for?
Traditionally: moistening dryness (throat, skin, cough with dry phlegm) and calming restless sleep — it bridges cough remedies and sleep congees.
Fresh or dried lily?
Both work: fresh is seasonal and sweeter; dried is the pantry staple — soak 30 minutes before simmering until soft.
What does lily taste like?
Mildly sweet, slightly floral, with a soft-but-firm texture that turns silky when cooked — it absorbs the soup it's in.
