Fresh, premium, garden-size lily bulbs become available at many grocery stores in Japan in winter, usually starting in December. They are tasty -- subtly sweet with a faint bitterness -- and starchy like potatoes, and they are pricey.
Chinese grocery stores here sometimes carry small fresh lily bulbs at a reasonable price, but it is hard to find ones without blemishes in the U.S. Chinese grocery stores and Chinese herbal medicine shops carry dried lily bulbs, which give the same kind of starchy texture once rehydrated.
Among several lily species used as food, Lilium leichtlinii is the most common in Japan. It is unclear when Japanese started to eat lily bulbs, but by the 17th century lilies were cultivated as food. It is said that 70% of lily bulbs in Japan are consumed in the western half of the country.
Lily bulbs are rich in glucomannan, a soluble fiber that is effective for easing constipation (thus good for dieting and skin) and preventing hyperlipidemia.
In Chinese medicine, lily bulbs are used to alleviate respiratory conditions such as coughs and dryness in the throat, treat insomnia, ease irritation and promote “mental stability.”
Fresh (boiled) 125 kcal/100 g (126kcal/100g); 66.3% water, 3.8% (3.4%) protein, 0.1% fat, 28.3% (28.7%) carbohydrate, 1.3% ash
Recipes with yurine
- Chawanmushi / steamed savory custard
- Yurine to kaibashira no tamagotoji / lily bulbs and dried scallops with eggs in broth
- Kani, shungiku, yurine no kakiage / mixed tempura with crabmeat, garland chrysanthemum and lily bulb
- Ebi to yurine-iri ganmodoki / deep-fried tofu patties with prawns and lily bulbs
Try yurine in the following recipes
- Hasumushi / steamed fish with grated lotus root, with light thickened sauce
- Tamago fuwafuwa / steamed egg soufle over broth
- Kaisen chukadon / Chinese-style seafood saute over steamed rice
(Last updated: March 15, 2018)
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