Alan Davidson

Golden Needles

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

golden needles the long, thin, dried buds or withered blooms of Hemerocallis fulva, a lily which grows abundantly in N. China and has become naturalized (indeed grows as a weed) in N. America, where it is known as the tawny day-lily. The flower blooms only for one day. It develops from a long thin bud, and withers to a long thin shape again.

The buds (fresh or dried) and flowers, as well as the withered blooms, are used in cookery, especially in Chinese stir-fried and steamed dishes, and are appreciated for their delicate flavour and interesting texture. The flowers can be incorporated in omelettes.