TAKENOKO (Bamboo shoots)
Takenoko cultivated in Nagaokakyo, is the best in Japan. Why is it the best? Because of our terrain and how we treat the harvested shoots ? using methods that date back over three hundred years.
First, we establish a bamboo field, the base of which is reddish clay. Then straw is added to make layers, known as Kyoto nanka Saibai, this makes the field softer and protects it from sunlight. If bamboo shoots are exposed to the sunlight, they become harder and bitter, so we harvest them in the early morning.
Next, parent bamboo is selected carefully otherwise we will not be able to have high quality shoots. The bamboo which is chosen is pruned at the head to encourage shoot growth in September. Bamboo over seven years-old does not produce good shoots.
During October to November, we watch the field carefully to find a crack and put a sign there. From the middle of March to May, we harvest bamboo shoots by digging them out. At this time, special professional tool, called hori is used.
