[National Geographical Indication Products] Longshan lilium

On May 7, the Hunan Administration of Quality Technology Supervision announced five newly approved national geographical indication products for Hunan Province. They are: Xuefeng Mountain herba houttuyniae; Huitong amorphophallus konjac; Xinhuang Dong red rice; Longshan lilium; and Deshan Daqu liquor. 

Currently the average annual planting area of Longshan lilium is more than 80,000 mu (5,333 ha.). The annual output is more than 80,000 tons and the output value 800 million CNY. The planting of this agricultural product has benefited 45,000 people from 12,000 poverty-stricken households.

Background Information 
Lilium bulbs are starchy and edible as root vegetables, although bulbs of some species may be very bitter. The non-bitter bulbs of Lilium lancifolium, Lilium pumilum, and especially Lilium brownii (Chinese: 百合; pinyin: bǎihé) and Lilium davidii var. unicolor are grown on a large scale in China as a luxury or health food, and are most often sold in dry form for herb, the fresh form often appears with other vegetables.

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn