Villagers earn millions in bitter bamboo shoot digging season
(Baonghean.vn) - From mid-January to March of the lunar calendar every year, villagers in Tri Le, Nam Giai, Thong Thu communes... (Que Phong) carry baskets and shovels up the mountain to find bitter bamboo shoots. For the locals here, bitter bamboo shoots are not only a specialty dish but also bring in a significant source of income.
It is now the beginning of the season, so these days along both sides of the road in Kim Son town, Que Phong market, and at crossroads, bitter bamboo shoots are sold.This year, thanks to favorable weather, bitter bamboo shoots are in season, so people are very excited.
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| Along Highway 48 or at market intersections in Que Phong district, you can see people buying bitter bamboo shoots to prepare for their family meals. Photo by Luong Nga. |
However, the price is lower than last year. At this time last year, the price of bitter bamboo shoots imported to traders was 12,000 - 13,000 VND/kg, this year the price is only 10,000 VND/kg. However, on average, people still have an additional income of 150,000 VND to 200,000 VND per day.
Ms. Luong Thi Hong, a small trader in Que Phong district, said that every day she sells more than 100 kg of bitter bamboo shoots, mainly to people from the lowlands to bring back as gifts.
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| Bamboo shoots have become a specialty forest food in many rural areas. Photo: Lu Phu |
Que Phong has 4 types of bamboo shoots that can be used to make dishes: Bitter bamboo shoots, Giang bamboo shoots, Bamboo shoots and Hoc bamboo shoots. However, bitter bamboo shoots are especially popular. They have a special taste: the base of the bamboo shoots is sweet and can be eaten raw, but the closer to the tip, the more bitter it is.
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| Bitter bamboo shoots have a special taste. The part that sticks out above the ground is bitter, but the part at the base is still sweet. Photo: Phuong Thuy. |
This type of bitter bamboo shoot is special in that when it grows, the part that sticks out above the ground has a bitter taste, and in the middle of January, the bitter bamboo shoots have not yet grown above the ground, so they taste very sweet.
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| Meals of mountain people this season cannot lack bamboo shoots. Photo: Lu Phu |
Not only do the locals love this dish, many people from the lowlands also come here to import and sell it. With convenient roads, bitter bamboo shoots are now available everywhere. Thanks to that, bitter bamboo shoots have become a specialty brand of the people of Que Phong and also help people earn more income.
