In most countries we travel the foods are seasonal, and we stick to what’s in season. Seasonality is key for freshness and authenticity, and in Japan the domestic market is integral to the sustainability of growers. This Takenoko is the freshest and smallest of its kind, commonly known in English as Bamboo.

The taste is sweet, the texture has a crunch that is unmistakable. This chef adds a small sansho leaf and some shavings of katsuobushi, “okaka”, then cooked over sumi bincho, and perfection is born.