Bamboo shoots
Takenoko (bamboo shoots) is one of the Kyoto spring specials. Right now, we are eager to taste takenoko as we feel that spring is near.
The shoots grow into bamboo stalks quickly, so the window of opportunity for harvesting them is very short.
As you might already know, we only eat one kind of bamboo, Moso-dake, when they are fresh sprouts. Bamboo stalks are quite hard, but bamboo shoots are not hard at all; they are fresh, nice and crisp. If you have not tried them yet, you might not believe this!
In Kyoto, particularly the west part of Kyoto like Otokuni, Nagaoka and Tsukahara, there are some bamboo forests in which very good bamboo shoots are grown with loving care by the farmers. That is the reason Kyoto takenoko is the best!
The taste of takenoko is plain and simple. The flavour is not showy, but it is very good with a mild and earthy subtleness. It is as if we can feel the energy of nature.
First we boil the bamboo shoots in hot water with rice bran and a couple of red peppers to improve the flavour. Then we can cook them in various ways, such as simmered with dashi (broth), mirin (sweet rice wine) and a little soysauce. We can make tempura, kinome-ae (kinome miso dressed dish), or takenoko-gohan (cooked rice with takenoko).
For any of these dishes we try not to add a lot of seasoning (sugar, salt, soysauce), as we prefer simply to appreciate the taste of the takenoko.
If you get a very newborn shoot, there is no need even to boil it; you can eat fresh takenoko, that is sashimi takenoko, or you can make nukazuke (bran bed takenoko pickles).
Hasten, please! While you are in Kyoto, please taste this blessing from the Kyoto spring!
Kyoto Uzuki Cooking
Born and raised in Kyoto, Emi shares her love of Japanese cooking with visitors in her home. Please visit Kyoto Uzuki Cooking for more information.
