In the season of bamboo shoots in the mountains

When the rains last for many days, soaking the mountains and forests, the old bamboo bushes begin to sprout bamboo shoots. For the locals, this is a gift from the mountains and forests. Harvesting bamboo shoots has helped many households earn extra income and make ends meet.

Hard work

The season for Dai Mountain Bamboo Shoots starts from around July to the end of October, coinciding with the rainy season in the Southern region. This is a type of wild bamboo shoot with a unique flavor, so it is popular with many people. This year, the rainy season came early, and this mountain specialty also appeared earlier. Taking advantage of this time, many Khmer ethnic minority households in Ba Chuc put aside their farming work, trekked through the forest, and "hunted" for bamboo shoots to sell.

Since the beginning of June, Neang Soc Khum and her husband (living in Soc Tuc hamlet) have been waking up early and carrying baskets up the mountain to look for bamboo shoots. Neang Soc Khum shared: “Every year, when the rainy season comes, I and many families in the village go to the forest to pick bamboo shoots. Although finding bamboo shoots is simple, it is also quite arduous, because the roads are slippery during the rainy season and it is difficult to travel. This job also has many dangers, such as: sharp objects, slipping, falling... Therefore, my neighbors and I must always be careful.”

There is only one bamboo shoot season each year, so many people take advantage of this opportunity to earn extra income. Khum's village also has about 10 people participating in this job. Bamboo shoot pickers usually go in groups of 2-4 people each. When entering the forest, each person in the group goes their own way to harvest more. According to Khum, the price of early-season bamboo shoots (peeled) is 30,000 VND/kg, at peak times it drops to 15,000 VND/kg. On average, each person earns more than 100,000 VND/day. Although the amount is not large, it is enough to cover food and clothing for the whole family.

Bamboo shoots are popular with many people because of their unique flavor.

Bamboo shoots are taken from the bamboo tree, a type of bamboo tree that has no thorns and a flexible stem. Bamboo trees also grow in clumps, sometimes in large patches. Because bamboo shoots often grow in quite complex terrain, people have a lot of trouble harvesting them. Mr. Chau Kha (Soc Tuc hamlet) said that his family has 3 generations specializing in picking bamboo shoots. "This type of bamboo shoot does not grow low, you have to wade up to the top of the mountain to find it. In the past, bamboo shoots were quite abundant. Recently, people have reclaimed land and planted fruit trees, so the yield is very low," said Mr. Chau Kha.

Because he does not have any land to cultivate, Kha's main job is to work for hire. When the rainy season comes, there is less work, so he rushes to the forest to pick bamboo shoots to sell. "I have been doing this job for more than 10 years, so I have a lot of experience. When I see rotten bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground, I use a scythe to scrape the soil off and cut across near the base; the rotten bamboo shoots that are sticking up high just need to be broken across, cut into pieces and put in a basket... During the peak season, I can harvest 10 - 15kg of bamboo shoots each day," Kha added.

Mountain specialties

At this time, walking around traditional markets and rural markets in Ba Chuc, Luong Phi, Tri Ton, O Lam, etc., it is not difficult to see the image of white bamboo shoots, arranged neatly on the stalls of small traders. Everyone wants to enjoy the first bamboo shoots of the season after many days of waiting.

Bamboo shoots can be processed into many dishes, the most common of which is boiled. In addition, bamboo shoots can be stir-fried, mixed bamboo shoots; bamboo shoots stewed with duck, chicken, pork; bamboo shoots and duck vermicelli, sour bamboo shoot soup... Many families also take advantage of the bamboo shoots season to buy a lot to make sour bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots... to eat all year round. However, processing dried bamboo shoots requires many steps: boiling, slicing and drying. For every 10kg of fresh bamboo shoots dried, only 1kg of dried bamboo shoots can be produced. However, on rainy days, it is considered a waste, so people often choose to sell fresh bamboo shoots to avoid hardship and have money right away to take care of their daily lives.

There are many types of bamboo shoots, such as: Four-season bamboo shoots, Strong-ton bamboo shoots, and Vong bamboo shoots, but Le bamboo shoots are the most popular. Simply put, Le bamboo shoots are dense, easy to prepare, have a slightly sweet taste, a characteristic aroma, are not astringent, and not too bitter... Therefore, more and more people are "hunting" for this type of bamboo shoot. For them, this is a "heavenly gift" that helps them earn more income and make ends meet.

DUC TOAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/vao-mua-mang-le-xu-nui-a423109.html