Lily Bulb
百合 · Bǎi Hé
Soothes a restless mind and dry, hacking coughs
What it does
Lily bulb soothes the restless sleep that comes with vexation, plus the dry hacking cough that lingers after a cold. In TCM, it nourishes lung yin and tranquilizes the mind. Classical doctors described 'lily disease,' the pattern of trance-like restlessness, low mood, and sleep that wouldn't settle. The white scaled petals look like garlic cloves but taste mild when cooked.
How to take it
Soak 9–30g dried lily bulb scales for 30 minutes. Add to congee, soups, or sweet desserts with red dates and rock sugar. Simmer 30+ minutes.
Try a sweet lily bulb and pear soup for dry coughs
Steep 9–30g of dried lily bulb in hot water for 15 minutes, or simmer for 30 minutes. Drink warm or chilled. Pairs well with sour jujube seed and pear.
Try a lily-bulb-and-pear tea on dry, anxious nights
Safety
- Generally very safe as food
- Skip with cold-pattern digestion or chronic loose stools
- Some lily species are toxic. Use only Lilium brownii or culinary varieties from a Chinese pharmacy
- Skip during pregnancy in concentrated medicinal doses
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Lily bulb (Lilium brownii) has been a Chinese kitchen and medicine staple for over 2,000 years. The scaled bulb is dried and used in sweet desserts (like Cantonese tong sui) and classical formulas. The Chinese name Bǎi Hé means 'hundred united,' a nod to the overlapping scales. The 'lily disease' pattern in Zhang Zhongjing's Jin Gui Yao Lue is one of TCM's earliest descriptions of mood disturbance with sleep difficulty, treated with lily-bulb formulas.