Sakura may be the symbol of spring, but takenoko are commonly regarded as the taste of spring. Their shoots are at their best in April (the beginning of spring), and Kyushu is lucky enough to be home to one of the country’s premium bamboo shoot-producing regions: Ouma, Kokura-minami-ku, Kitakyushu City.

Walking past it in the local market, I saw this and had to buy it. It is a colossal bamboo shoot and is one of the largest I’ve seen this season. So to cook it, take some rice bran and some chili peppers to reduce the bitterness. The boiling time is a matter of getting it right. This is one very large and tall bamboo.

The bamboo cooked and a look from above at the texture.