Bamboo shoot hunting season

Nghe An People in Ky Son district go into the forest to split bamboo trees and collect the bamboo worms inside to make food, or sell to traders for more than 500,000 VND per day.

On a late December morning, Mr. Ho Nhia Xong, 50 years old, residing in Huoi Tu commune, Ky Son district, and three neighbors carried baskets and knives and walked into the mountains 5 km from their house to hunt for bamboo worms. This is a seasonal job for people in the highlands of Nghe An at the end of the year.

Bamboo forests in Ky Son district, where people hunt for bamboo worms. Photo: Duc Hung — Bamboo forests in Ky Son district, where people hunt for bamboo worms. Photo: *Duc Hung*

Hundreds of hectares of bamboo forests in Huoi Tu, Tay Son, Muong Long, Huu Kiem, Nhon Mai communes... in Ky Son district are in the bamboo shoot harvest season. In addition to producing bamboo shoots, bamboo trees also contain larvae (called bamboo shoot worms). The worms are one centimeter in diameter, 3-5 centimeters long, and milky white in color. They often burrow into the bamboo tree trunks to grow, and when they are adults, they make holes to escape.

Mr. Xong said that when bamboo and reed trees are still young, the worms are scattered on the top. In winter, when the trees are bigger, the larvae start to go down to the lower joints to make nests. Therefore, this is the stage when the worms are the biggest and fattest.

The bamboo worm season starts from October of the previous year to the end of January of the following year. For the past two months, every time he goes up the mountain, Mr. Xong always brings rice balls and drinking water to work through the afternoon. Choosing bamboo trees that are slightly crooked, have dark bark, withered tops, and have knobby eyes, Mr. Xong uses a sharp knife to split the trunk to get the larvae.

Bamboo shoot worms grow in the roots of bamboo trees. Photo: Duc Hung — Bamboo shoot worms grow in the roots of bamboo trees. Photo: *Duc Hung*

When splitting the tree trunk, the worker must be careful, otherwise the blade will cut the bamboo worm inside the hollow core. With bamboo, each tree produces only one larva. Bamboo has more, with dozens at the base. Splitting a tree takes about 2-5 minutes. In a day, each person can collect 2-3 kg of bamboo worm.

"Bamboo trees that are eaten by bamboo worms will mostly be damaged. Therefore, cutting down trees to collect larvae does not affect the surrounding ecological environment. To have a regular and abundant source of bamboo worms, we always remind each other to protect natural forests," said Mr. Xong.

In addition to local people, some families in districts such as Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Anh Son, Que Phong... also take this opportunity to go to the old forests in Ky Son district and neighboring areas to hunt for bamboo worms. Those who live nearby go back and forth during the day, if they live far away, each trip lasts 2-3 days, and at night they set up a tent to sleep in the forest.

People split bamboo trunks, take out the bamboo worms inside, put them in bamboo tubes and bring them home to sell. Photo: Lu Phu — People split bamboo trunks, take out the bamboo worms inside, put them in bamboo tubes and bring them home to sell. Photo: *Lu Phu*

Bamboo worms are always in high demand. As soon as people bring their baskets down the mountain, traders are waiting along the roads connecting villages and communes to buy them for 250,000-300,000 VND per kilogram. "Every day I get about 2 kg, earning more than 500,000 VND. Families with many members earn 1-3 million VND. On average, each crop, people have an additional income of 10-15 million VND. In villages that do a good job of forest protection, the income is even higher," said Mr. Ho Ba Xa, 56 years old, residing in Huoi Tu commune.

In addition to selling to traders, some people keep about 5-7 ounces of bamboo shoot worms at home to fry, roast with lemon leaves, braise with pickles, stir-fry with bamboo shoots, grill... This type of larva is considered a specialty of the Nghe An highlands, has a fatty and rich taste, and is often used to entertain guests.

Bamboo shoot hunting brings high income, but workers also face many risks. Ky Son mountain forest is 800-1,000 m above sea level, has many steep rocky slopes, tangled bushes, and is very easy to slip and fall when it rains. People can also be attacked by leeches, snakes, and centipedes if they do not wear protective gear.

The leader of the Ky Son District Agricultural Service Center said that from a little-known dish, in the past 5 years, bamboo worms have become a popular commodity, widely sold in markets. However, the center recommends that when splitting bamboo trees to collect worms, it is necessary to pay attention to forest protection, only collect larvae from trees that are infested with worms, and avoid cutting them down indiscriminately, which can affect the ecosystem.

Duc Hung

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