Bamboo shoots are a familiar dish of people in the northern mountainous regions such as Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau... Recently, people in the capital have been looking to buy them because of the sweet, unique taste of this type of bamboo shoot, causing the price to increase 2-3 times.
Origin of the popular dish in the Northwest region - bamboo shoots
Sharing with PV Dan Viet, Hai Yen (28 years old, living in Van Yen, Yen Bai) said that bamboo shoots are a familiar dish of people in the northern mountainous regions such as Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau...
"Bamboo shoots are best from December to the end of March. The bamboo shoots are big, round and very sweet," Yen said.
Accordingly, bamboo shoots belong to the bamboo family, have small stems without thorns, and grow in forests or mountains. Every year, in December, when the spring rains come, bamboo shoots begin to sprout from the ground.
During this time, almost every corner of the mountain market has this specialty. According to the experience of many people in the Northwest, if there is thunder, the bamboo shoots are bitter, it will be harder to eat.
"Previously, bamboo shoots mainly grew wild along streams and in forests, but now many households have brought them home to plant in their gardens for easy harvesting.
Bamboo shoot season peaks around March, when young bamboo shoots begin to sprout from the ground. At this time, villagers gather together to carry baskets and shovels into the forest to dig for bamboo shoots," Yen shared.
Bamboo shoots are a familiar dish of people in the northern mountainous regions such as Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau... Photo: Hai Yen.
Image of Yen Bai people harvesting and selling bamboo shoots to traders. Photo: Hai Yen.
According to the research of Dan Viet reporter, dishes made from bamboo shoots are quite diverse and rich. From bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or simply just a few sprigs of coriander, you can have a fragrant stir-fried bamboo shoot dish.
In addition to stir-fried dishes, bamboo shoots can also be boiled or grilled. Bamboo shoots are still sweet when they are first in season and are boiled with their skin on. This method takes longer to boil, but in return, the bamboo shoots will retain their sweetness and crispness. When eating, just peel the skin and dip it in salt, lime, and chili.
A popular dish from the Northwest region that many people in the capital compete to "mukbang" despite the price increasing 2-3 times
For over a month now, bamboo shoots have become a hot topic on social media and are sought after by the people of the capital for their sweet and rich taste. From a rustic dish, this type of bamboo shoot has quickly become sought after by many people, leading to an explosion in demand and skyrocketing prices.
Hai Yen said that many years ago when she was a student, she brought wild bamboo shoots to the capital. Even though it was a long time ago, many of her friends still remember the sweet taste of bamboo shoots from the highlands.
"These days, the village has the first delicious bamboo shoots of the season. The bamboo shoots are still underground. The villagers dig them up and bring them back, so they are still fresh and delicious. Many friends texted me to ask to buy bamboo shoots, so I collected orders for everyone. I didn't expect that this bamboo shoot dish would be so popular that many people would compete to mukbang."
Yen shared that previously, bamboo shoots were only priced at 20,000 - 30,000 VND/kg, but the strong spread on the internet has increased the demand for bamboo shoots. On Facebook, this type of bamboo shoot is sold for prices ranging from 50,000 - 80,000 VND/kg. Many people hunt for bamboo shoots to process themselves or enjoy them in the original way such as boiling or grilling.
The image of boiled bamboo shoots combined with a plate of dipping sauce was shared by people.
According to Ms. Mai Nguyen (a Northwestern specialty seller in Hanoi), due to high demand, there are days when she imports and sells about 100 - 200 kg of bamboo shoots.
Hoang Mai Anh (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) said that she saw her friends buying it so she bought it too because it was "strange": "The bamboo shoots have a rather fragrant smell of boiled corn. At first, when eating, it feels a bit bland, the taste is unclear, just soft, a bit crunchy. But when swallowing, you can feel a surprising light sweetness lingering on the tip of your tongue."
Bui Xuan Hoang (living in Cau Giay) Hanoi shared that not all bamboo shoots are sweet. Sometimes when you come across old bamboo shoots, the bitter taste appears right after the first bite, especially at the base of the bamboo shoot. "For those who like a slightly bitter taste like bitter tea or wild vegetables, this is an interesting point. But if you are not used to it, you may find it a bit difficult to eat."
According to many people, bamboo shoots must be dipped in cham cheo - a typical spice of the Northwest.
Cham cheo is made from mac khen, salt, garlic, chili, lemon leaves, chopped lemongrass... creating a mixture with a spicy, aromatic and distinctive flavor. When dipping boiled bamboo shoots into cham cheo, the mild sweetness of the bamboo shoots combined with the spicy chili, the aroma of mac khen, and the saltiness of salt makes the flavor more intense.
Lao Cai stops exploiting bamboo shoots in Van Ban from March 1, 2025
The People's Committee of Van Ban district, Lao Cai province has just issued a document requesting people to stop exploiting bamboo shoots in the entire district.
The document clearly states that considering the situation in the district, it aims to ensure the requirements for bamboo shoots to grow and develop well, creating favorable conditions for bamboo shoot exploitation in the following years.
The Chairman of Van Ban District People's Committee requested relevant units, People's Committees of communes, and forest owners to implement the following contents:
Widely notify people of the bamboo shoot exploitation period in the whole district until February 28, 2025. The time to stop exploitation, transportation and consumption is from March 1, 2025.
Organize care and protection of bamboo shoot areas after exploitation, ensuring good growth and development. Organize forces to patrol, inspect, detect, prevent, and strictly handle acts of exploitation, transportation, and consumption of bamboo shoots after the period of stopping exploitation.
Source: https://danviet.vn/loai-cay-moc-khap-nui-rung-tay-bac-gap-sam-la-dang-dang-duoc-nguoi-ha-noi-lung-mua-du-gia-cao-20250302143024976.htm
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