Fresh Lily Bulb and Lotus Seed Sweet Soup

Why people make this soup

The combination of lily bulb and lotus seed has a long history in Chinese food therapy as a preparation for disturbed sleep, excessive dreaming, and a restless, overheated quality of mind. This classic sweet soup keeps things beautifully simple: just the two ingredients with a little rock sugar. No fuss, just nourishment.

Fresh lily bulbs — whether the slightly bitter Shanghai variety or the milder Lanzhou type — share that characteristic soft, silky texture that makes them a pleasure in a sweet soup. Fresh lotus seeds are tender, mildly sweet, and have a pleasant nutty quality. Both ingredients are available at Chinese and Asian grocers in summer, and dried versions produce essentially the same result when fresh ones are out of season.