Hello! I'm Aiko.
Today I'd like to introduce bamboo shoots(baby bamboos) from my area which have been in season since the end of March.
I live in the south-west part of Kyoto, very close to Muko city, where gentle hills stretch toward the Nishiyama Mountain Range. It takes just 6 minutes from Kyoto station by train, but the fields, in which a variety of crops are grown including bamboo shoots, are a 10 minutes bike ride from the station.
Kyoto is famous in Japan for producing high quality bamboo shoots. The Nishiyama Mountain area is especially well known as one of the finest bamboo shoot producing regions.
So I often see many bamboo shoots sold on streets and farm stands around this season.
Why are the bamboo shoots in the Nishiyama Mountain area so delicious??
It is said that the quality of soil in this area is naturally ideal for growing bamboo shoots. The soil, which is really clay, is full of moisture.
As a result, the bamboo shoots become fresh and sweet. In addition to that, farmers put a lot of time and effort into growing their bamboo shoots. They spread straw on the surface of the ground from autumn to winter, heap the new soil from the same bamboo groves on top, and fertilize the soil. This process delays bamboo shoots coming to the surface, so they can keep their freshness and soft texture until they are harvested.
It would be difficult to see... The head of a bamboo shoot comes out in the front of the photo. This is the best time to dig the shoots out. The one in the back of the photo is a little too big and probably hard, but still you can eat it.
If you walk around this area in spring, you will see people digging out bamboo shoots like this photo.
I also tried it, but it was much harder and more difficult than I thought. I had to dig quite deep while paying careful attention not to hurt the bamboo shoot, which made me tired. So when I got one after a long struggle, I was very proud of myself!
These are bamboo shoot dishes I cooked at home, and cute bamboo shoot macarons I bought at the cake shop called Pièces montèes·Hiro.
Bamboo shoots glaces using local bamboo shoots are sandwiched.
They are too cute to be eaten...
The dishes are bamboo shoot rice, wakatakeni(simmered bamboo shoots and wakame seaweeds) and tempura.
They are often cooked at home and in a restaurant in spring.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I'd like to write again about how to cook bamboo shoots someday.
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