Spring is the season when wild mountain vegetables are delicious, and bamboo shoots harvested in the mountains also come into season from March to April.
It’s lovely when seasonal ingredients appear on the table and let us enjoy the taste of spring, too.
In Mabi, known for its bamboo, a bamboo shoot digging experience will be held on Sunday, April 28, right in the middle of bamboo shoot season.
Looking into the event details, participants will not only dig up bamboo shoots but also get to taste freshly harvested shoots on the spot. It sounds like a great opportunity to experience the appeal of Mabi’s bamboo shoots.
I heard that the event is organized by a Community Revitalization Cooperator working in Mabi, so I went to find out more.
The information provided was accurate when this article was published in April 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Mabi Bamboo Shoot Digging Experience
The Mabi Bamboo Shoot Digging Experience is an hands-on event held on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
It is organized by Yoshida Masahiro, who works as a Community Revitalization Cooperator in Mabi. This will be the second time the event has been held, in 2024.
The Kurashiki City Mabi Town Greening Association is also co-hosting, and participants can dig bamboo shoots while receiving direct instruction from local bamboo experts.
The participation fee is 1,000 yen, including tea, rice cooked with glutinous rice, and insurance. If you would like to take bamboo shoots home as a souvenir, you can get 5 kg for an additional 1,000 yen.
Check the image below for details.
Digging up what look like sturdy bamboo shoots may seem difficult, but apparently anyone can do it easily once they get the hang of it. At the previous event, children and adults alike harvested a large number of bamboo shoots.
On the day, participants will not only dig up bamboo shoots but also eat freshly harvested shoots right there. Once you know how delicious they are, you’ll probably dig with even more enthusiasm.
Advance registration is required, so anyone wishing to participate should sign up using this Google Form.
The bamboo shoot digging event was well received last time, too. We spoke with Yoshida Masahiro, Kurashiki City’s Community Revitalization Cooperator.
Interview with Yoshida Masahiro
What was your aim in planning the event?
Yoshida (surname only hereafter)
What I want to share through the event is the appeal of bamboo shoots, one of Mabi’s local specialties.
I hope people who haven’t had much experience with Mabi’s bamboo shoots will dig them up themselves and be amazed by their flavor.
Also, digging bamboo shoots is not only fun; it’s also an environmental conservation activity.
Bamboo shoots grow very quickly, so if you miss the chance to dig them up, they soon turn into bamboo. As bamboo keeps growing, it becomes difficult to manage, and eventually it can be left unmanaged, leading to abandoned bamboo groves.
The best way to prevent that is to dig up the shoots while they are still young. That makes them easy to dig up, and you can enjoy eating them, so bamboo shoot digging is a fun activity that also helps conserve the environment.
How did the bamboo shoot digging event come about?
Yoshida
When I thought about how to “share the appeal of Mabi” as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, the first thing that came to mind was a hands-on workshop making use of bamboo, a local specialty.
But honestly, I didn’t know how to go about it. At the time, I didn’t even know how to dig up bamboo shoots, and I’d never eaten them.
Then the chairman of TEORI, a company that makes bamboo furniture and interior products in Mabi, said, “Let’s work together to share what makes Mabi special!” That gave me the idea to organize a bamboo shoot digging event, since the shoots would be coming into season at just the right time.
Bamboo shoot digging events had been held several times in Mabi before, but this was the first one organized by a Community Revitalization Cooperator.
How was the response to the previous event?
Yoshida
It was very well received.
Most people had never dug up bamboo shoots before, so many told us they had tried it and thought, “That was fun!” And after tasting the freshly harvested bamboo shoots, everyone said, “Delicious, delicious!”
Some people even said, “I’ll come again next year, so please let me know.”
What are the characteristics of bamboo shoots from Mabi?
Yoshida
Bamboo shoots usually have a bitter taste, so you need to use rice bran to remove it, but Mabi’s bamboo shoots have very little bitterness, so they require almost no preparation.
Put the bamboo shoots in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and leave them overnight. They’ll be ready to eat the next day.
I think bamboo shoots that can be prepared simply by boiling them in water are rare across Japan, and people are surprised when I tell them, “You don’t need rice bran.”
Also, Mabi’s bamboo shoots are sweet, with a beautiful pale color. The tips are delicious simply served with wasabi soy sauce.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Yoshida
I want people to discover how delicious Mabi’s bamboo shoots are, so I hope people who don’t know much about them or have never tried them will come along.
I don’t think you often hear people around you say, “I love bamboo shoots,” but Mabi’s bamboo shoots are so incredibly delicious that they’ll change your mind. I can’t eat any other bamboo shoots anymore.
I recommend them prepared any way you like: as sashimi, tempura, or charcoal-grilled.
I hope everyone gets to experience just how amazingly delicious they are.
From the Writer
Listening to Yoshida, I was surprised to learn that digging bamboo shoots is not only fun but also helps conserve the environment.
Knowing that you can help maintain bamboo groves while having fun makes you want to dig with even more enthusiasm.
Bamboo shoots grow incredibly fast and apparently turn into bamboo in just a few days, so there is only a limited season when you can experience digging them up. It’s a rare event where you can enjoy bamboo shoots at their peak.
If you’d like to enjoy Mabi’s bamboo shoots in a fun and delicious way, be sure to join in.
Mabi Bamboo Shoot Digging Experience Information
| Name | Mabi Bamboo Shoot Digging Experience |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, April 28, 2024 9:00–11:00 a.m. (Registration: 8:30–8:35 a.m.) |
| Location | Meeting place: Kurashiki City Mabi Branch Office parking lot |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Participation fee: 1,000 yen per person Souvenir (per household): 1,000 yen ※Up to 5 kg of bamboo shoots for souvenirs |
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