Longmen Stream Bamboo Shoots

Longmen Stream Bamboo Shoots

　　Longmen Stream Bamboo Shoots

　　Xixi Bamboo Shoots have a long cultivation history. It is said that over 400 years ago, during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, bamboo shoots began to be planted. The tender shoots growing from the mother bamboo were either boiled and eaten fresh or processed into dried bamboo shoots. Since they are produced in the Xixi area at the border of Longhua and Zuotan towns, they are called “Xixi Bamboo Shoots.” Among them, the sweet bamboo shoots from Luan Village in Xixi are of particularly high quality and are especially famous, ranking as a premium delicacy. Before the 1970s, the main product was dried bamboo shoots, which were sold to the Hong Kong and Macau markets. In the 1980s, canned stream bamboo shoots began to be produced and sold to cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and also to Japan. By the 1990s, the main products were fresh bamboo shoots and dried bamboo shoots, sold both within and outside the province, as well as to Hong Kong and Macau. Xixi Bamboo Shoots are large and thick-fleshed, with tender, white, succulent, and refreshing meat. Traditionally, the dried bamboo shoot skins made from fresh shoots are thin and transparent, with a crisp texture and a sweet, smooth taste. Xixi Bamboo Shoots are highly nutritious, containing various amino acids needed by the human body, as well as trace elements such as phosphorus, iron, calcium, and magnesium, along with various vitamins. They also offer benefits such as weight loss, blood pressure reduction, and overall health improvement.

　　In 2002, Longmen County had a total bamboo shoot cultivation area of 4,200 hectares, with an annual production of 35,000 tons of fresh bamboo shoots and 96 tons of dried bamboo shoots. Zuotan Town had the largest planting area, followed by Longhua Town, Wangping Town, and Tiantangshan Town.