Lily medicinal cuisine is popular

Lily is a perennial bulbous flower, and its cultivation in China is mainly for the production of cut flowers. Hualien is the only place in Taiwan that produces edible lilies through organic cultivation. The Hualien District Agricultural Improvement Station said that it has been committed to experimental research on lily variety selection, cultivation technology, bulb propagation, etc. for many years, and has promoted the restoration and promotion of Taiwan's native lilies. The promotion covers an area of ​​about 3 hectares, making lilies not only ornamental in nature, but their bulbs can also be used as ingredients for high-end cuisine, greatly improving their economic benefits.

Cai Yuexia, a technical assistant at the Hualien District Agricultural Improvement Station, pointed out that "lily" represents a happy marriage and is a plant that combines medicinal, edible and ornamental uses. The lily bulb is a nutrient storage organ with thick scales that are deformed from leaf sheaths, which are stacked in concentric circles in a shingle-like manner to form a bulb, commonly known as a "bulb."

According to the "Chinese Medicinal Diet" edited by Peng Mingquan, lilies contain starch, protein, fat and other substances and have high nutritional value. Among the commonly used Chinese medicinal materials, lily has the functions of moistening the lungs and relieving coughs, clearing the heart and calming the nerves. Regular consumption can maintain health. Cai Yuexia pointed out that lily bulbs can be preserved for a long time after being dried and processed for use as Chinese medicinal materials.

Fresh lily bulbs are sweet and delicious, and are suitable for preparing delicious meals. Whether they are eaten raw in cold salads, or steamed, boiled, or stir-fried to make cooked food, they can be transformed into lily dishes that are colorful, fragrant, and tasty. They are a health ingredient in a nutritious diet. The following is a recipe for lily medicinal cuisine provided by the Hualien Agricultural Research Center:

1. Healthy Lily, Ginger and Sesame Rice - glutinous rice balls, lily, mushrooms, vegetarian ingredients, ginger and sesame oil, kelp and soy sauce. Preparation: Soak the glutinous rice balls in water for 25 minutes, stir-fry the ingredients (shiitake mushrooms, vegetarian ingredients, ginger sesame oil, kelp soy sauce), mix with lily bulbs and glutinous rice, and steam for 30 minutes.

2. Healthy Lily Sweet Soup - lily, white fungus, lotus seeds, longan, wolfberry, and vegetable and fruit broth. Preparation: First, boil apples, pears, cabbage, carrots, corn and other fruits and vegetables into broth. After filtering out the broth, add lily, white fungus (chopped), lotus seeds, longan and wolfberry and cook until done.

3. Vegetarian stew with fresh lily vegetables - lily scales, colorful bell peppers (red and yellow), king oyster mushrooms, and cucumbers.

4. Cold lily and asparagus salad - lily scales, asparagus, and herb vinegar dip (or salad dressing, Thousand Island dressing). Preparation: Blanch the fresh lily scales and asparagus in boiling water, quickly remove from the water, chill in ice water, place on a plate, and pour the dipping sauce on top.

5. Lily chawanmushi - lily scales, fish cake, egg. The ratio of egg to water is 1:2.

6. Lily smoothie - 50ml osmanthus vinegar (or rose vinegar), 200ml water, 400g ice (-20℃). Method: Mix 200g of sterilized frozen lily scales with a smoothie machine and blend until smooth.