The season for processing dried bamboo shoots in western Nghe An province.
Xuan Hoang - Quang An - September 10, 2023 07:36
(Baonghean.vn) - From the end of April to the beginning of October is the bamboo shoot harvesting season for ethnic minorities in the western part of Nghe An province. The harvested bamboo shoots are purchased by local dried bamboo shoot processing facilities and processed on the same day using special techniques to ensure the product has a beautiful golden color and guaranteed quality.
Clip: Xuan Hoang - Quang AnIn western Nghe An province, besides livestock products, there are also many products processed from wild bamboo shoots, namely dried bamboo shoots. According to Ms. Quang Thi Van, owner of a bamboo shoot purchasing and processing facility in Na Chang village, Tien Phong commune (Que Phong district), from the end of April to the beginning of October each year is the season for harvesting wild bamboo shoots, mainly the *Nua* variety. During this time, people in the area flock to the forest to harvest bamboo shoots to sell. Typically, they go out at dawn and return by 11 am, selling everything they collect to bamboo shoot processing facilities in the commune. Photo: Xuan HoangMr. Luong Vi Tan, a resident of Na Chang village, who just harvested bamboo shoots from the forest, said that the best bamboo shoots are those that have just sprouted about 20-30 cm above the ground. After cutting them, he uses a sharp knife to peel off all the outer layers, only keeping the tender inner part of the shoot. This morning, he harvested 24 kg of bamboo shoots by himself, selling them at 8,000 VND/kg, earning nearly 200,000 VND. Photo: Quang AnBamboo shoot processing facilities hire workers to process the bamboo shoots as soon as they are harvested each day. Ms. Quang Thi Van said that before boiling the bamboo shoots, a portion of the base and tip must be cut off to ensure the dried bamboo shoots are delicious, because farmers often don't cut off all the tough parts to increase the weight. Photo: Xuan HoangAccording to Ms. Quang Thi Van's experience, to ensure the bamboo shoots have a beautiful yellow color after boiling, the water must be boiling vigorously before adding the bamboo shoots. Once the water is boiling, add the entire basket of bamboo shoots and continue boiling for at least 30 minutes before removing them to dry. If the bamboo shoots are added to the water while boiling, they will turn white and will not meet the required appearance standards. Photo: Quang AnTo ensure that dried bamboo shoots are beautifully golden and of high quality, sun drying is the best method. Therefore, on sunny days, bamboo processing facilities use corrugated iron sheets or bamboo mats to dry the bamboo shoots all day long. Ms. Lang Thi Hanh said that if the sun is strong, drying continuously for 3-4 days is enough to completely dry the bamboo shoots. To ensure even drying, they must constantly turn each piece of bamboo shoot over in the sun. Photo: Xuan HoangAfter boiling, the bamboo shoots are cut lengthwise along one side with a knife to split them open and dry them in the sun. Mr. Luong Van Ha, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Tien Phong commune, said that there are many bamboo shoot processing facilities in the commune, with each facility purchasing an average of 500 kg to 1 ton of fresh bamboo shoots per day. A portion is sold fresh, and another portion is processed into dried bamboo shoots. (Photo: Quang An)Bamboo shoots are processed and dried in open fields near the forest, thus avoiding environmental pollution from dust. If the weather is cloudy, people have to dry them in drying ovens; therefore, every bamboo shoot processing facility must invest in drying ovens using charcoal or rice husks. Photo: Xuan HoangAccording to bamboo shoot processing facilities, producing dried bamboo shoots requires many steps, from preparing fresh bamboo shoots to boiling and drying them. Therefore, 20 kg of fresh bamboo shoots are needed to produce 1 kg of dried bamboo shoots. As a result, dried bamboo shoots are sold on the market for hundreds of thousands of dong per kg, while at processing facilities, wholesale prices to traders range from 180,000 to 190,000 dong per kg. (Photo: Quang An)The western part of Nghe An province has many advantages for processing bamboo shoots, as the districts of Quy Chau, Que Phong, Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, etc., all have large areas of bamboo and rattan. While there are no precise statistics on how many tons of dried bamboo shoots Nghe An produces annually, in Que Phong district alone, people harvest an estimated 1,700 tons of fresh bamboo shoots each year. A portion is used for fresh consumption, and another portion is processed into dried bamboo shoots. (In the photo: A dried bamboo shoot processing facility in Tien Phong commune (Que Phong district) drying bamboo shoots on a drying oven due to the lack of sunshine. Photo: Xuan Hoang)
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