What kind of food is bamboo shoots??
The young stems that emerge from the underground rhizomes of bamboo are called bamboo shoots (takenoko=タケノコ).
Bamboo shoots are a vegetable widely eaten in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
The representative species of edible bamboo shoots is mousoutake(孟宗竹).
It is about 10 to 15 cm in diameter, and its brown skin has fine downy hairs. The texture is soft and flavorful. And it can be used in a variety of cooking method such as boiled, grilled, stir-fried, and bamboo shoot rice.
The main production areas in Japan are Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Kansai region. Although it is also harvested in the Tohoku region, mousoutake is difficult to grow in cold regions, so the yield is not large.
Harvesting period is from March to May. They are only available for a short time, but once they start appearing in stores, you can feel the arrival of spring.
The variety hachiku (淡竹) is relatively resistant to cold weather, so it is planted throughout Japan. However, it is not widely distributed in the market and is rarely seen in supermarkets. They are generally obtained through bamboo shoot hunting or purchased at direct sales stores.
The menma used for ramen toppings is made by fermenting machiku(麻竹) with lactic acid.
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Bamboo grows quickly and can grow several tens of centimeters per day.
Takenoko are written in kanji as 筍. This kanji means that bamboo shoots become bamboo in 10 days.
As an aside, bamboo flowers are said to only bloom once every 100 years. Bamboo flowers bloom all at once, and bamboo forests wither all at once.
For this reason, it is sometimes said that it is bad luck for bamboo flowers to bloom.
What is akunuki?
Bamboo shoots can be eaten raw immediately after harvest, but the lye increases over time, so a process called ”akunuki(=removal of the lye)” is required.
The components of bamboo shoot lye are homogentisic acid and oxalic acid.
The calcium in rice bran binds with the oxalic acid in bamboo shoots, effectively removing their bitterness.
And, boiling bamboo shoots whole, without removing the skin, softens the bamboo shoot fibers through the reducing action of the sulfites contained in the skin.
The starch particles in the rice bran used in akunuki coat the surface of the bamboo shoots, preventing oxidation and keeping them white without discoloring.
This takes a lot of time, but the raw bamboo shoots harvested in the season are particularly delicious. If you get fresh bamboo shoots, try akunuki.
Things to prepare
(*The amount varies depending on the size of the bamboo shoots and the amount of hot water, so this is just a guideline.)
- bamboo shoots 1kg
- rice bran (komenuka) 80g Use 80g of rice bran for every 1kg of bamboo shoots.
- Red chili pepper 1.5g
- big pot
- enough water to cover the bamboo shoots
Step
- Cut off the tips of the bamboo shoots and make a 2-3cm deep cut vertically from the tip.
- If the bamboo shoots are large, cut them in half.
- Cut off about 1cm of the bottom part of the bamboo shoot.
- Put the bamboo shoots, rice bran, and red chili pepper in a pot, and add enough water to cover the bamboo shoots. Use a deep pot as it is prone to boiling over.
- Heat over high heat.
- Once boiling, boil on low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour. It is a good idea to place a weight on the bamboo shoots to prevent them from floating.
- Try inserting a skewer into the base of the bamboo shoots, and when it passes through easily, turn off the heat.
- Leave it in the hot water and wait until it cools down. By doing this, you can drain all the lye from the bamboo shoots.
- Wash with water to remove the bran and peel. The thin skin produced when peeling bamboo shoots can be used as an ingredient in soups or in sumisoae.
- Use a knife to cut off the part circled in blue.
Recipes using Takenoko ( bamboo shoots)
Here are some recipes using Takenoko ( bamboo shoots) : Each article has details, so be sure to check them out.
Takenoko gohan (Bamboo shoots rice)
Takenonko gohan (bamboo shoots rice) is a taste of spring in Japan. Please enjoy the flavor of carefully prepared fresh bamboo shoots.
Chinjao Rosu ( Beef and pepper stir-fry)
Chinjao rosu is a dish made by stir-frying thinly sliced meat and green peppers and seasoning it with oyster sauce.
Wakatakeni (Wakame And Bamboo Shoots)
Wakatakeni is a dish made by simmering takenoko (bamboo shoots) and wakame seaweed, and it brings to mind the arrival of spring. Try the unique flavors.
Oven-baked sea bream and bamboo shoots
Red sea bream, bamboo shoots (takeoko) and rosemary are marinated in olive oil and then roasted in the oven. Enjoy the fluffy texture of this hot red sea bream.
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