Stir-fried fresh lily bulb with celery and mushrooms

Last Updated on September 24, 2023 by Simon Fan

Lilies are known for their elegant beauty and intriguing scents. But do you know the bulbs of certain lily varieties also have culinary and medicinal uses?

In Chinese cuisine, lily bulbs are considered a gourmet ingredient. The scales that form the bulbs are crisp and sweet, perfect for refreshing salads or simple stir-fries. When used in sweet or savory soups, they turn velvety and creamy, or even “melt” into the liquid.

Lily bulbs are highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for their medicinal properties, such as nourishing Yin and calming spirit. Because of that, they’re frequently used in Chinese food therapy or herbal cuisine.

In Mandarin, lily bulbs are called Bai He (百合), meaning “a hundred embraces” because each bulb contains numerous tightly overlapping scales. They’re such an auspicious symbol of harmony and togetherness in Chinese culture that one of the largest Chinese dating sites is named, well, baihe.com

Lily bulbs are available in both fresh and dried forms. Fall is the best time to harvest fresh bulbs, which I prefer to use, and the best-tasting ones are labeled as Lanzhou Lily (兰州百合), with white and plump scales as shown in the picture. They’re grown in the mountains around the city of Lanzhou in Gansu Province. Luckily for us in the US, they’re available in vacuum packs at Chinese grocery stores.

If you can get hold of fresh lily bulbs, try this enchanting stir-fry. You’ll notice how crisp and refreshing those bulbs are—like the fall breeze.

Stir-fried fresh lily bulb with celery and mushrooms

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 fresh lily bulb, about 1 oz (30 g)
4 oz (115 g) tender celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
½ tablespoon dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in cold water for about 30 minutes
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 oz (115 g) beech mushrooms, or any type of mushroom of your choice
2 teaspoons oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
½ teaspoon Zhenjiang (aka Chinkiang) vinegar
Salt and fresh-ground white pepper

Directions

1. Gently break up the lily bulb into individual scales. Blanch them in boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer them to a colander, rinse under cold water to cool, and drain well.
2. Blanch the celery slices in boiling water for 20 seconds. Transfer them to a colander, rinse under cold water to cool, and drain well.
3. Remove any hard or knobby bits from the soaked wood ear mushrooms and tear them into small pieces.
4. Place a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then swirl in the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the beech mushrooms and wood ear mushroom, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the lily bulb, celery, oyster sauce, and vinegar. Stir and mix until well combined, about 20 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.