Bamboo shoot picking in a private forest. Western Japan. Niigata prefecture. How could I say no? I was totally in even though I knew I was to be the go-to labourer. By default. The rest of the bamboo expedition was post-retirement age.
The owner of the bamboo forest, Mrs. Magara, is one tough lady. She used to work for my father-in-law’s construction company when she wasn’t busy on the farm. She must be over 80.
This was actually my second trip to her bamboo forest. I love the idea of owning a forest. On the first go, I had trouble finding the shoots because they poke out of the ground perfectly camouflaged.
Once in a while I would hear the words “Ome-san”. It would take me some time to realize she was calling me over with some weird country polite version of “Dude, over here!” So I had to go dig.
Careful digging
You have to really dig. If you expose the shoot and then try to force it out, it will break on you. Not good. The correct procedure is to dig down to the base and then carefully pry it out. Repeat until your bag is full.
Note: not every shoot is collected. Many are left so the forest can grow. Let’s not get greedy. Speaking of greed, many of the bamboo shoots are shared with family, friends and company staff. That’s more like it.
What are they for?
Why are we digging up bamboo shoots? Because they are used in salads and in soups. They don’t have any special taste. If you’re not Japanese, you’ll have to acquire a taste for it. I found it tasteless by itself.
On this second expedition I had better luck. I was able to find my own shoots. Finally! I still heard the same “Ome-san” as Mrs. Magara called me over to help. If only I could find her.
This was a fun experience. Always go for new experiences. Your life will be richer.
