５月 May in Kanbayashi

May is the month we arrived in Japan and, two years later, the month we left. The landscape is transformed as rice fields are flooded and rice seedlings planted resulting in a soft green that lines the plains.

Most definitely my favourite month in Japan, it is for a short time as if we are surrounded by lakes. Watching the sunrise over the water is special; the moonrise between the mountains reflected in the rice fields is something else.

 

Takenoko Gohan & Taki Komi Gohan

Fresh, local takenoko, bamboo shoots, can only be enjoyed in spring, much like asparagus in the UK. Bamboo shoots impart a sweet, subtle flavour when steamed with rice and is much loved by Japanese. Here are two recipes to cook in a rice cooker, but can easily be cooked in a pan. Vacuum packed bamboo shoots could be substituted, as I will have to use next spring…..

Takenoko Gohan, Bamboo Shoot Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rice
• 5 cm piece of takenoko,prepared fresh bamboo shoot, cut into bite sized pieces (or use canned if not available)
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• Dashi, konbu and katsuboshi stock
• Kinome, fresh sansho leaves, to garnish

Method

• Wash the rice and add to the rice cooker
• Add the takenoko
• Add enough dashi to reach the indicator for 2 cups of rice, add the soy sauce and mirin
• Steam as usual
• When finish mix the rice to evenly distribute the takenoko
• Add the kinome to garnish

Takikomi Gohan Rice Steamed with Mixed Vegetables

This usually contains chicken, but I only use vegetables. Any seafood or vegetables of your choice could be added.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (rice measuring cup) short grain rice
• 5 cm piece of takenoko,prepared fresh bamboo shoot, cut into bite sized pieces (or use canned if not available)
• 1/3 slice aburage (deep fried fried tofu skin), cut into strips, place in strainer and pour hot water over it and gently squeeze to drain excess oil
• 1/3 carrot
• 2 tbs hijiki seaweed, reconstitued in water for 20 minutes, then rinsed and drained
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 30 minutes to an hour to reconstitute then sliced (reserve the soaking water as stock)
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• Dashi

Method

• Wash the rice and add to the rice cooker
• Add the takenoko, aburage, hijiki, shiitake and carrot
• Add enough dashi to reach the indicator for 2 cups of rice, add the soy sauce and mirin
• Steam as usual
• When finish mix the rice to evenly distribute the vegetables

Takenoko – Fresh Bamboo Shoots

 

April and May hail the arrival of fresh bamboo shoots in Japan, a seasonal delicacy synonymous with the arrival of spring. Just like asparagus or forced rhubarb they appear during a short period of time when little else is available. Of course today takenoko is available  vacuum-packed in supermarkets all year round, just like asparagus that is flown in from all corners of the world. Yet harvesting fresh local takenoko is still very much revered and enjoyed.

The timing is important, the shoots have to be harvested before they get longer than about 30cm, the takenoko above looked beautiful with the smooth brown leaves but the green tips had emerged and the edible parts were smaller and more bitter. These shorter, stumpier shoots were perfect.

While busy packing in the last few weeks we had several neighbours pop round asking if we wanted takenoko from the bamboo grove at the back of our hamlet. Despite being up to our eyebrows and deciding to cook only the simplest of meals (and no photos) I couldn’t resist….

Raw bamboo contain toxins which needs to be removed by boiling. Japanese typically boil with nuka, rice bran, or the water used to rinse rice to remove the aku or bitterness. I boiled them for about 15 minutes then simmered for over an hour. The outer leaves are then easy to peel to reveal the crisp, edible centre. Some people seem to peel before boiling or make a vertical slit in the leaves from top to bottom but boiling whole worked fine for me.

The flavour is mild and sweet so it suits being paired with strong flavours and dressings. Takenoko is used in many different seasonal dishes: steamed with rice in takenoko gohan or taki komi gohan, or simmered in soy sauce, nimono, or added to salads.

At one sayonora party for us our hosts had prepared five different simmered takenoko dishes, take komi gohan  as well as wild vegetable tempura, a truly local and seasonal feast that I will never forget.