[theme music playing]
LILY
[narrator] In the latter part of October, the temperature drops
to the freezing point.
This is the sign of winter in the Longxi Plateau.
[rooster crows]
[indistinct Mandarin]
[narrator] Sun Qingchun adjusts the fire for the stove.
She wants to make a type of snack that’s unique to this season for her granddaughter.

SUN QINGCHUN
This white, round-shaped object is a type of bulb (/bʌlb/) plant grown by the Sun family.
It’s called lily.

LANZHOU LILY
[Sun] I’m baking the lilies. You can eat them later.
[narrator] In the oven beside the stove, the heat is warm and even.
The moisture from the tender lilies is slowly removed.

Only after 40 minutes can the baking be done.
BAKED LILIES
Crispy and yellow on the outside, soft and delicate on the inside.
Sweet with a bit of burnt aroma.
-[woman] Oh! It’s hot.-[girl laughs]
-[girl] It’s delicious. So hot.-[Sun] Blow on it.
[narrator] This is a delicacy that only begins in Lanzhou.
The story starts in the summer.

WEST ORCHARD, QILI RIVER DISTRICT, LANZHOU, GANSU
1,800 TO 2,000M ABOVE SEA LEVEL
[narrator] July. There is a faint (/feɪnt/微弱的) fragrant aroma floating in the air.
Compared to the downtown area of Lanzhou, ten kilometers away, this place is more refreshing and humid.
Sun Qingchun’s family needs to harvest the lily flowers.

Lily. Its petals (/‘pet(ə)l/花瓣) are edible too.
Lightly blanch (/blɑːn(t)ʃ/焯) them in hot water. You’ll get a refreshingly smooth texture, almost like edible fungus (/‘fʌŋgəs/
食用菌).
Sauté (/‘səutei/煎) them. The aroma fills the air.
STIR-FRIED LILIES WITH VEGETABLES

Locals prefer to make them into toppings.
They pair them with white noodles.
It’s considered a summer delicacy.

However, the lily’s flavor is just considered a bonus.
The real objective of harvesting them is to preserve more energy for its roots beneath the soil.
These white tubers (〔马铃薯等植物的〕块茎) that look like onions are lily bulbs.
In the dark, nutrients and moisture are slowly being gathered.
The west orchard (/‘ɔːtʃəd/果园) is around 2,000 meters above sea level.
There’s a big temperature difference between the day and night.
The yellow soil is deep and loose, which gives the lilies here unique characteristics.

Lilies are perennial (/pəˈreniəl/持续的，反复出现的) plants.
Its stem might look wilted (/wɪlt/枯萎) but it continues to grow beneath the soil.
The lily field in this valley has been growing for three years.
Kids from far away places in Lanzhou also came back to help with the picking.
They’re not doing this for harvest.
Because its soil fertility requirements are high, lilies need to be dug up…
…replanted in rotations and experience a longer growth period.

Many places in China produce lilies.
Aside from Lanzhou, lilies from other areas usually grow for around two years.
They have a slightly bitter taste when eaten.

YIXING LILIES
LONGYA LILIES
In the first snow of winter, the temperature quickly dropped.
The lilies in this sloping field experienced seven winters.
[men singing in Mandarin]
A hundred years ago, lilies were planted in the Lanzhou area.
After much trial and error, the locals finally grasped the pattern of their growth.

Its slow growth makes the Lanzhou lilies round and full.
They have a high sugar content, making them the only sweet lilies in the world.
With very little coarse fibre content, its texture is crispy like fruits.
After leaving the soil, lilies need to be carefully placed in a freezer at -2 degrees Celsius.
The accumulation of flavor doesn’t stop at this point.
The starch continues to be converted into sugar.
Its sugar level is continuously rising.

Lanzhou lily has a sweet flavor.
It can play different roles when cooked.
After blanching and stir-frying, its pure texture is best paired with the firmness of shrimps.
STIR-FRIED SHRIMP WITH LILY

Slow-cooked with white fungus and lotus seeds, it’s a light and smooth classic Chinese dessert.
Steam thoroughly, then mash them.
Chill, then season.
They taste as delicate and as sweet as ice cream.
ROSE LILY

[Sun] Place that over there. Make room in that spot.
[narrator] The short harvest is over.
Her kids will return to the city.
During dinner before they leave, lilies still play the main role.
In Sun Qingchun’s household, fresh, newly-harvested lilies don’t need to be handled in a complicated way.
Paired with different ingredients, simply stir-fry them, and they’ll be delicious.
STIR-FRIED LILY WITH PORK
STIR-FRIED LILY WITH PEPPERS
STIR-FRIED LILY WITH CELERY (/‘selərɪ/芹菜) AND BLACK FUNGUS

[indistinct Mandarin]
Lily, in the traditional Chinese language, lily signifies a blissful life and happy family.
By chance, this kind of plant took root in Lanzhou.
After a long process, it gets rid of its bitterness in the end.
Combined with home-cooked dishes, they add color to the world of flavor.
[end theme playing]