1.
bamboo shoot
The young, edible shoot of a bamboo plant. A prized spring ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
筍を掘る。
To dig up bamboo shoots.
春になると筍が旬を迎える。
Bamboo shoots come into season when spring arrives.
採れたての筍を米ぬかで茹でてアクを抜いた。
I boiled the freshly harvested bamboo shoots with rice bran to remove the bitterness.
WRITING:
Usually written in hiragana as たけのこ or in kanji as 筍. The kanji 竹の子 (literally "child of bamboo") is also seen but less common than the single-character form.
USAGE:
筍 is a quintessential spring ingredient in Japan. Fresh shoots require preparation — they must be boiled with 米ぬか (rice bran) or 米のとぎ汁 (rice washing water) to remove their astringent flavor.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 筍ご飯: bamboo shoot rice
- 筍の煮物: simmered bamboo shoots
- 筍掘り: bamboo shoot digging
- 筍の土佐煮: bamboo shoots simmered in bonito-flavored broth