Takenoko

Overview

You've heard of pandas eating bamboo, but did you know the Japanese do too? Bamboo shoots, known in Japanese as takenoko, grow at the incredible speed of 1 meter per day, reaching 15 meters in 3 months. But it's the softer shoots under the soil that are prized by the Japanese. Check out the special techniques of Japan's best takenoko hunters and various ways this springtime specialty is prepared and enjoyed.