Food Attack ! 金针

It is reported that daylily buds contain a natural toxic colchicine ( 秋水仙碱 ). Although colchicine is used as medicine, ingestion of excessive dose of colchicine may cause poisoning.


Symptoms starts 2 to 5 hours after ingestion, include burning in mouth and throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and kidney failure.


Onset of multiple-system organ failure may occure within 24 to 72 hours. This includes hypovolemic shock due to extreme vascular damage and fluid loss through the GI tract, which may result in death.


Additionally, sufferers may experience kidney damage resulting in low urine output and bloody urine; low white blood cell counts, persisting for several days; anemia; muscular weakness; and respiratory failure.


Recovery may begin within 6 to 8 days. However, there is no specific antidote for colchicine.

Daylily Soup 金针蛋花汤

Daylily 金针 is the flower bud of  Hemerocallis fluva ( synonym H. citrina ), a monocot perennial plant of family Hemerocallidaceae of order Asparagales. 

Dried daylily buds can be bought in most Asian market.  Fresh buds which are more gratifying, however, are harder to acquire.

As daylily buds contains colchicine, prior to cooking daylily buds, it is advisable to pre-soak the dried buds in water for about 2 hours prior to cooking.  Fresh buds need to be soaked for 30 minutes in warm water, follow by boiling for about 1 minute.