Fresh and sweet bamboo shoots

Pickled bamboo shoots cooked with kingfish soup are both appealing and refreshing on hot, sunny days.

When they first emerge from the ground, bamboo shoots have a distinctive grayish-green color on a thick, hairy sheath covering the bamboo stalk.

The larger the bamboo shoot, the straighter it becomes. Before you know it, you'll forget about it in just a few days, and you'll regret it immensely because the shoots will have passed their peak of deliciousness. Those tiny bamboo shoots, barely sprouting, will soon grow tall and slender, about to burst forth with branches covered in thorns.

Therefore, when I was a child, my mother often assigned me the task of watching over the thorny bamboo grove. When there were few bamboo shoots, she let them grow into stalks, and occasionally, when new clusters of shoots appeared, my mother would skillfully use a hoe to cut them close to the base of the shoots to bring home for cooking.

The firm, spiny bamboo shoots can be eaten fresh, or they are often dried or pickled to be used in soups, braised fish, or braised duck. After bringing them home, my mother uses a knife to remove the outer layers of the shoots, revealing the delicious, creamy white core. She cuts the shoots into thin slices, soaks them in salt water 2-3 times, and to ensure they don't cause any bamboo shoot poisoning, she boils them thoroughly before stir-frying them with vermicelli.

Needless to say, these thorny bamboo shoots are incredibly delicious. The shoots are crunchy and fragrant. The aroma of the bamboo blends with the golden-fried garlic, and the chewy vermicelli noodles are soaked in the sauce. There's no need to fear the sweltering heat of late summer anymore, because each bite of the bamboo shoots is rich, refreshing, and satisfying.

Or consider the authentic homemade pickled bamboo shoots. After soaking thoroughly in brine, the bamboo shoots are pickled in earthenware jars. With her skillful pickling techniques and meticulous care, the jars of pickled bamboo shoots my mother makes remain firm and don't rot even after months. After removing the bamboo shoots and letting them soak until the sourness is milder, you have a delicious ingredient for a whale fish soup with an unmistakable flavor.

On weekends when I visit home, following a childhood habit, I seek out the cool, shady corner of the garden, beside the thorny bamboo grove that rustles and sways in the breeze. My gaze penetrates a corner of the bamboo grove, and I happen to spot bamboo shoots about two handspans tall—the perfect time for them to be at their most delicious.

What were we waiting for? The bamboo shoots were right in front of us, and the shovel was always tucked away with Dad's rakes and hoes behind the house. I suddenly realized I could now dig up bamboo shoots skillfully on my own, no longer the little girl who used to trail after Mom carrying the shovel!

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tuoi-ngot-mang-gai-3140452.html