Fresh bamboo shoots

Last updated 2026-11-12 — "E'mei bamboo shoots" refer to dried shoots and are a famous specialty of Mount E'mei. E'mei bamboo shoots have a long history. In the Ming Dynasty, Hu Shian wrote in "Records on Bamboo Varieties": "The varieties of bamboo on E'mei Mountain are the most diverse... Monks dry and press them into cakes to serve as food or gifts." E'mei bamboo shoots "can be found in the mountains all year round," indicating abundant resources. By the Qing Dynasty, they had developed into a market commodity, with "hundreds of loads sold daily," becoming one of the sideline productions for farming families in the mountainous regions. There are many varieties of E'mei bamboo shoots, including fresh shoots, salted shoots, and more. Fresh shoots can also be classified by origin, such as those from Longdong, Longchi, Er'e Mountain, and Si'e Mountain... but their taste does not compare to that of shoots from Da'e Mountain (Mount E'mei). Based on the type of bamboo, there are also red-flower shoots, which are purplish-red in color with thick stems, primarily produced in the areas around Dacheng Temple and Longdong. These are fresh, crisp, fragrant, and have a fruity flavor. Fish shoots are short, white, and tender; other types such as ci bamboo, bitter bamboo, and golden bamboo can also produce shoots, each with its own unique flavor. In recent years, E'mei bitter shoots have seen large production and sales volumes, winning great favor among consumers and being sold in cities such as Chengdu. The production of dried shoots exclusively uses cold bamboo shoots, which are harvested in both spring and autumn and are available from various high-altitude areas, ensuring abundant raw materials. Salted shoots are made using autumn shoots from Chuanzhu and Longdong, as the bamboo shoots from these two areas feature white skin and solid cores—qualities not found in shoots from other places. Salted shoots are especially popular in Japan, with large annual sales volumes and an annual production of over 100,000 kilograms. (Mount E'mei)