Re: [CH] Hot & Sour Soup
Charles Demas (demas@sunspot.tiac.net)
Fri, 18 Dec 1998 11:00:48 -0500 (EST)
On Fri, 18 Dec 1998, Dan deForest wrote:
> Lily Buds so I've been looking for little dried flower buds assuming
> they would be round little ball like thingys...although I've never
> identified something like that in Restaurants' bowls which leads me to
> believe I may not be looking for the right stuff.
They are about 3-4 inches long and about 1/8 inch in diameter.
They come in a bag the size of an egg noodle bag, and they are
inexpensive, less than $2.00
They look brownish to me, and the stem should be removed before
using (it remains woody). They have a sharp tangy taste, something
like a combination of vinegar and lemon. Some say you should reconstitute
them and split them with a knife before using.
As a visualization, imagine an easter lily before it opened, cut off and
dried. It would shrivel up un diameter, but stay long.
FWIW, I was always told that the secret to Hot and Sour soup was the
balance between the vinegar and the pepper, and yes, to my taste,
Hot and Sour soup without tiger lilies is not Hot and Sour soup. I
usually use only 3-4 lilies per serving, but perhaps I've been skimping.
Chuck Demas
Needham, Mass.
> Since Doug called
> them lily bud stamens...should I be looking for something more like
> saffron threads? A visual discription would be helpful. Mine was
> better the second day, esp. after I put another slivered hab in my bowl,
> but I think also because the flavors had melded (is that a word?) and
> the tofu had picked up more flavor. TIA for golden needle
> descriptions...also are they usually packaged and displayed with the
> other dried things in plastic bags like the mushrooms, tree ears and
> dried shrimp?
> Deb in Houston
>
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