Bamboo is one of the signs of the arrival of spring. It grows super fast; nearly 1m per day at max!
Takenoko: baby bamboo
Upon arrival of the spring, bamboo fields will be filled with a bunch of shoots called ‘Takenoko’ and they will be a nice seasonal treat.
Takenoko, which literally means ‘baby bamboo’, are to be dug out when only the tip of the shoot are slightly seen. As they grow so fast, they will be too big and hard to eat maybe by next day.
You must be Preparation to eat
Takenoko has bitter and acridity taste when cooked by itself. To deliberately single out its sweetness in taste and delicacy in flavor, boil it with a handful of rice bran or a few pieces of red chili. Then unpleasant taste will be magically removed.
Simple is best
Ideally, it should be cooked as soon as it was dug out. You know, when it comes to seasonal food the freshness is all about!
Bamboo is reborn with changing shape
Bamboo trees are commonly used for making crafts by weaving thin bamboo strips.
They also make traditional toys
Taketombo: bamboo dragonfly
Taketombo have the same principle as a helicopter.Even children can easily fly.
Sudare: Bamboo roller blind
Bamboo roller blind would create breezy shades if you hung them by the window during the summer. The handy small rolling mat used to roll sushi is also made of bamboo originally!
If you visit traditional Japanese houses, you will find that bamboo is used partially, not really as building materials but rather as decoration or to give some twist into the space design.
It is also a well-known fact that Thomas Edison adopted a bamboo from Kyoto, Japan as filament for his incandescent lamp.
Kadomatu: the New Year's decorative pine branches
It symbolizes longevity,prosperity and purity.
Bamboo is regarded as one of the auspicious items along with pine and plum in Japan. So it is an indispensable ingredient for the decoration to celebrate new year.
