Edible or not? Can you eat lilies?

FoodfindsAsia.com | Edible or not? Can you eat lilies?Whether you are planting lilies, buying one or have received one, you might have heard that they are actually edible. Of course, not many people would immediately put the lilies in their mouths after hearing something like that. Although there are more flowers that are known and are actually edible. Lilies are, truth be told, one of these edible flowers. Now, you might be wondering if there are just specific lilies that can be eaten and others that cannot. To know about this, you should learn about the difference between Asiatic and Oriental Lilies.

• Asiatic Lilies versus Oriental Lilies

They are actually not so different. One thing that is for sure is that both types of lilies grow from bulbs. Differences are not that important, but you should learn about them and know more about the lilies all the same. Especially if you are curious about them or if you are an aspiring florist as this could be a question that your customer may ask you.

The little differences of these lilies are: 

1. Scent – this is one of the differences in the two types of lilies. While Orientals are scented, the Asiatic ones are not. This is important to remember, especially if the one you are giving it to, or you yourself, have scent allergies. 
2. Season – This is probably one of the things that you, or an aspiring florist should know. Asiatic lilies only bloom in the spring while Orientals are known to bloom during the fall. 

The next question would be, are they edible? Or are there only specific parts of it that you can? 

• Yes, you can eat lilies. Almost every part of them can be edible. They are known to go well with soy sauce and even pork. If you have day lilies, their green buds are also known to be edible. 

• Tips on cooking with lilies 

There are actually many possible ways you can add lilies to your dishes. These flower plants have long been used in culinary and have adapted well, even amongst famous and expensive dishes. Of course, cooking with lilies for the first time, you would need a guide or tips on how to get the right taste, or to mix them well with other spices. 

Knowing how to cook them would also help in using all possible parts of the lily so that it would not go to waste. Learn to appreciate the flower for everything it could bring, and you would be cooking with lilies like a pro in no time.  Below are some shared and well-known recipes that have lilies. Check them out and try to make some of the dishes yourself if you can: 

1. The young green leaves of lilies are actually one of the most common and edible parts. They are edible whether they are raw or cooked. If you want something more fibrous, you should get older sets of leaves. 
2. Tubers are parts of the lilies that can also be eaten raw or you can cook them. They are known to have a nutty flavor. If you want something good, then you should pick out young tubers. Although, even the older tubers are tasty when you take out only their central portion. There are many ways to use tubers as they can be a potato substitute. You can also toss them in a salad to substitute croutons. 
3. The next are the flowers or the blooms. These parts can also be eaten raw or cooked. They are mostly preferred eaten raw. This is because they have a natural crunchy and thick texture that makes it fun and pleasant to eat. They are also known to have a certain sweetness in taste found at the base of the nectar. They taste somewhat similar to peas. 

These edible parts of the flower can also be fried if you plan to keep them in storage. You can also put them in soups and stews or use them as relish. You can even substitute your celery or asparagus with the leaves and young shoots of lilies. 

• Cooking with lilies 

You can find a lot of recipes online that can definitely help you kick off your lily dishes. A lot of people have been using lilies in their cooking for a while now as they are not only tasty, but they also have a lot of benefits. Benefits that are good for your skin and your health in general. Not only that but they are much cheaper and can be cooked easier and that is why most of their parts are used as substitutes for well-known vegetables and salads. 

The best way to cook lilies is how you prefer to eat them. You can always experiment in the kitchen, as long as you know which parts can be used for what or which parts are better eaten raw or cooked. There is actually no limit to how you cook them or where you place them in your dishes because lilies are not a danger to your health unless you are allergic to flowers, so it would be best to avoid that and also check the food before you eat it at a restaurant. Cooking with lilies are relatively easy and fun to do. You can have a taste before you start cooking to figure out where or what dish it would go well with. 

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