linguistic:translation
Chinese cuisine

Lily bulbs are starchy and edible as root vegetables, though bulbs of some species may be too bitter to eat.

Lilium brownii var. viridulum, known as 百合 (pak hop; pinyin: bǎi hé; Cantonese Yale: baak hap; lit. ' hundred united '), is one of the most prominent edible lilies in China. Its bulbs are large in size and not bitter. They were even exported and sold in the San Francisco Chinatown in the 19th century, available both fresh and dry. A landrace called 龍牙百合 (pinyin: lóng yá bǎi hé; lit. ' dragon-tooth lily ') mainly cultivated in Hunan and Jiangxi is especially renowned for its good-quality bulbs.

L. lancifolium (Chinese: 卷丹; pinyin: juǎn dān; lit. ' reflexed red ') is widely cultivated in China, especially in Yixing, Huzhou and Longshan. Its bulbs are slightly bitter.

L. davidii var. unicolor (Chinese: 蘭州百合; lit. ' Lanzhou lily ') is mainly cultivated in Lanzhou and its bulbs are valued for sweetness.

Other edible Chinese lilies include L. brownii var. brownii, L. davidii var. davidii, L. concolor, L. pensylvanicum, L. distichum, L. martagon var. pilosiusculum, L. pumilum, L. rosthornii and L. speciosum var. gloriosoides. Researchers have also explored the possibility of using ornamental cultivars as edible lilies.

The dried bulbs are commonly used in the south to flavor soup. They may be reconstituted and stir-fried, grated and used to thicken soup, or processed to extract starch. Their texture and taste draw comparisons with the potato, although the individual bulb scales are much smaller.

The commonly marketed "lily" flower buds, called kam cham tsoi (Chinese: 金针菜; pinyin: jīnzhēncài; Cantonese Yale: gāmjām choi; lit. ' gold needle vegetable ') in Chinese cuisine, are actually from daylilies, Hemerocallis citrina, or possibly H. fulva. Flowers of the H. graminea and Lilium bulbiferum were reported to have been eaten as well, but samples provided by the informant were strictly daylilies and did not include L. bulbiferum.

Lily flowers and bulbs are eaten especially in the summer, for their perceived ability to reduce internal heat. A 19th century English source reported that "Lily flowers are also said to be efficacious in pulmonary affections, and to have tonic properties".

Asiatic lily cultivars are also imported from the Netherlands; the seedling bulbs must be imported from the Netherlands every year.

The parts of Lilium species which are officially listed as food material in Taiwan are the flower and bulbs of Lilium lancifolium, Lilium brownii var. viridulum, Lilium pumilum and Lilium candidum.