The spring is nearing and bamboo shoots begin to appear on the market. In most western countries people think of bamboo as a garden plant inedible but in the east it is a delicacy. If you ever cook bamboo, you need to add some nuka powder to neutralize the bitterness. I use rice bran kome nuka in Japanese, and/or gang pepper shichimi togarashi and this does the trick. Once you boil it, remove the skins and enjoy it – one of the vegetable wonders in Japan.