Bamboo shoots are 'spring medicine.' What I felt in Itoshima and Toyota about receiving life

Bamboo shoots poke their heads out of the soil when spring arrives.

Just yesterday, a friend from Toyota, Aichi, said,
'I went bamboo shoot digging this morning.'

And today, a friend from Itoshima, Fukuoka,
posted some delicious-looking bamboo shoot dishes.
From Instagram

Near my home, there was a greengrocer that
would sell Tanba bamboo shoots that had been dug that morning
after doing all the prep work,
but they closed down.
They also made a lot of rice bran pickles.
It was a wonderful greengrocer that
saved me one kitchen chore.
I'm shocked.
Remembering things like that,

Even though they are all 'bamboo shoots,'

just by changing the location,
the aroma and taste are slightly different.

While experiencing that, what I felt once again was that

'receiving the season' is
not just about eating.
It is about receiving the 'timing of life.'

What is a bamboo shoot? It's not just a vegetable

As the Japanese characters for bamboo shoot (竹の子) suggest,
they are baby bamboo.

Moreover, their growth speed is phenomenal,
sometimes growing nearly a meter in a single day.

In other words, the bamboo shoots we eat are

plants at the 'moment their vitality is at its peak.'

Receiving this energy is the essence of the 'dietary nourishment' that

people of the past cherished.

2026: From the front lines of the real season

The timing of the season I actually felt in the spring of 2026:

・Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture → Late March to mid-April
・Toyota, Aichi Prefecture → Early April to late April

Both are at their peak right now.

The most important thing I want to convey here is that

bamboo shoots are an ingredient that is a 'race against time.'

Freshly dug bamboo shoots are sweet and have little bitterness.

That is why they can be eaten as sashimi 'raw'.

However, as time passes,

・The harshness (bitterness) increases
・The aroma fades

In other words,
'Freshness equals the deliciousness itself.'


Bamboo shoot nutrition is 'spring detox'

Although they look simple,
bamboo shoots are very functional ingredients.

・Dietary fiber → Regulates the intestines
・Potassium → Flushes out excess water
・Tyrosine → Related to motivation and concentration

Releasing what you accumulated during the winter.

They are truly 'spring reset ingredients.'

Nature properly
prepares what is needed for each season.

Bamboo shoots and Japanese history

Bamboo shoots have been loved by the Japanese for a long time.

They appeared in the Manyoshu in the Nara period,
and were a spring delicacy for aristocrats in the Heian period.

Eventually, in the Edo period, they spread to the tables of commoners.

This is not just an ingredient, but

'a culture of receiving the arrival of spring.'

The very sensibility of the Japanese people is here.

The most delicious way to eat them is simple

The best trick for bamboo shoots is not to overwork them.

I recommend 'Waketakenoko'.

By combining them with the umami of dashi,
the aroma and sweetness of the bamboo shoots are highlighted.

There are only three points.

・Boil with rice bran to remove bitterness
・Change the texture by how you cut them
(Vertical = crunchy, horizontal = soft)
・Keep the seasoning simple

'Subtractive cooking' is the ultimate feast.

The techniques of kappo cuisine are actually found here too.

Learning the essence of food from bamboo shoots

What I feel again through bamboo shoots:

It is,

Knowing the season
Making the most of the ingredients
Receiving life

Because we live in a convenient era,
these are important sensations we tend to forget.

Bamboo shoots are not just spring vegetables, but

the energy of life,
the rhythm of the seasons,
Japanese food culture,

they are an ingredient packed with all of that.

By knowing these 'seasons' and the 'power of ingredients',
your daily meals will change significantly.

Actually, by combining dashi, seasonings, and fermentation,
you can easily recreate this deliciousness at home.

What I am importantly conveying now is,

👉 'Not
special cooking,

but the power to organize daily meals.'
If you are interested,
I also explain this in detail in my courses,

so please take a look.
Currently creating an official LINE account
Wisdom of the Japanese Kitchen | Yoshimi

(Kitchen of Dashi, Seasoning, and Fermentation)

It includes all the basics of Japanese food.
In this series,
I am delivering little by little the'Wisdom of the Kitchen' that has been passed down in Japanese homes.

The chain of seasonal events
involves work and is very busy.
Thank you for reading 😊