Vegetables · FFET10438
Daylily buds (huanghuacai)
Unopened buds are steamed and dried; Datong's buds are thick and hold their shape during long cooking.
CanonVegetablesHuanghuacai consists of the unopened flower buds of Hemerocallis citrina, harvested, steamed, dried and sold as a dried vegetable. Yunzhou District in Datong, Shanxi, is one of its main growing areas, where the golden buds are thick and elongated and retain their shape during long cooking.
What
Huanghuacai is made from the unopened flower buds of Hemerocallis citrina, commonly steamed and dried for sale as a dried vegetable.3,4
When
An old text records people in the east gathering the flower stalks, drying them, and selling them as huanghuacai, but the available passage gives no year. Daylily fields in Datong flower in midsummer; the buds are harvested before opening and dried for sale.2,3
Where
Datong's core growing area is Yunzhou District, Shanxi, at about 1,000 meters above sea level, with volcanic-ash soil. Huanghuacai is also grown in Hunan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Gansu.1,2,4
How
The harvested buds are steamed and dried and must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Growing bases in Yunzhou use drip irrigation, and the crop is also processed into freeze-dried buds, sauces and cakes.2,3,4
Why
Datong's daylily buds are golden, thick and elongated, retaining their shape during long cooking.1,2
Impact and influence
In Datong, huanghuacai supports both food processing and midsummer visits to the flowering fields. Datong daylily is reported to be a national geographical indication product, with more than 130 processed products in six series.1,2