By KENGO HIYOSHI/ Staff Writer
April 5, 2023 at 18:14 JST
KITA-KYUSHU, Fukuoka Prefecture--Spring in Japan is not limited to enjoying sakura--it’s the perfect time to enjoy the taste of the season, “takenoko,” or bamboo shoots.
Takenoko are being harvested here, in a prefecture with the highest production volume in Japan.
“We harvested delicious bamboo shoots this year, too, so I really hope people will enjoy them,” said Hiroaki Hiyoshi, who grows bamboo shoots.
Those harvested from the Ouma area of Kita-Kyushu’s Kokura-Minami Ward are branded as Ouma Takenoko and are shipped to traditional restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka.
Bamboo shoots pulled from clay soil are soft, with only a faint hint of bitterness.
Farmers look for slight bumps and cracks on the ground to find a yellow tip, which indicates the presence of a high-quality bamboo shoot underneath. They then dig it out with a dedicated hoe.
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A farmer harvests bamboo shoots in Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, early on the morning on April 3. (Kengo Hiyoshi)
