Bamboo shoot slices

Bamboo shoot slices

　　Bamboo shoot slices

The vast bamboo forests across Zixing provide abundant raw materials for producing various bamboo shoot-based foods. Zixing produces over 5 million jin (approximately 2.5 million kg) of winter and spring bamboo shoots annually, which are processed into about 1,500 tons of bamboo shoot products such as clear-boiled bamboo shoots, preserved and convenient bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot slices, dried bamboo shoots, and bamboo shoot skins—making these an important export commodity for Zixing City.

Bamboo shoot slices come in varieties such as winter slices, spring slices, and peach slices. They are a traditional local specialty of Zixing, with an annual production of about 100,000 jin (approximately 50,000 kg). Their production process is highly meticulous: tender winter and spring bamboo shoots are selected and processed through multiple steps including husking, steaming, and drying. Before eating, they should be soaked in water first, then sliced into shreds, strips, or pieces, and served with seasonings or other main dishes. They have a deliciously tender and aromatic taste.

Dried bamboo shoots come in types such as white dried bamboo shoots and smoked dried bamboo shoots. Their annual production is roughly double that of bamboo shoot slices, and their processing is slightly simpler than that of bamboo shoot slices. Their eating methods and flavors are largely similar to those of bamboo shoot slices. During the production of canned bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot slices, and dried bamboo shoots, many tender parts such as bamboo shoot skins, tips, and slices are also produced. Once dried, they also make excellent food. Clear-boiled bamboo shoot cans are exported at over 1,000 tons per year and are an important product in Zixing’s industry. They come in large cans, small cans, moso bamboo shoots, and small mountain bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoot slices are a traditional local delicacy of Zixing, crafted from Zixing bamboo shoots. Their production is meticulous; aside from spring bamboo shoots, only fresh, unexposed winter bamboo shoots are selected. The shoots are first steamed and husked, then all skins are removed, and they are soaked in clean mountain spring water for one day and one night before being cut into a lily petal pattern and dried in a basket. This results in Zixing bamboo shoot slices that are crystal clear, tender, flavorful, aromatic, and excellent in color, aroma, and taste. Cooking Zixing bamboo shoot slices also requires care: before use, soak them whole in rice-washing water for three to five days to enhance their flavor and crispness. For urgent use, soak and boil them in water to maintain their jade-white color and tender, crispy texture. Then slice them into shreds, strips, or pieces, and pair them with various seasonings according to preference, offering a taste that lingers. Hotels, guesthouses, and inns in Zixing all serve this as one of the traditional local dishes to entertain distinguished domestic and international guests.

Bamboo shoot slices are rich in amino acids, minerals, and various vitamins. Aside from their delicious and tender taste, which everyone loves, they also offer certain medicinal benefits. Li Shizhen’s *Compendium of Materia Medica* once recorded bamboo shoot slices as having the effects of “aiding digestion and promoting urination.” *The Names and Records of Famous Physicians* states that they “regulate the diaphragm and qi, reduce inflammation, refresh the stomach, and are very beneficial to the human body.” Long-term consumption of bamboo shoot slices can aid digestion and help with weight loss.

In addition to bamboo shoot slices, Zixing also produces a large quantity of dried bamboo shoots, with an annual output more than double that of bamboo shoot slices. Their processing is slightly simpler than that of bamboo shoot slices, but their health benefits are largely similar. They are not only sold in various farmers' markets in Zixing City but are also popular in provinces and cities such as Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Shanghai.