Attached to the mountains and forests for generations, the Thai people in Son La consider bamboo shoots as familiar products, both present in traditional meals and bringing additional income to the people.
May lay" is a small bamboo variety, growing in thick bushes, with lush green stems and dense flesh. Bamboo shoots usually grow after rains, concentrated in some areas such as Yen Chau, Ta Khoa, Gia Phu, Song Ma, Muong La.
According to local people, bamboo shoots are most delicious when they are young, ivory white, thin stems, and sizes only equivalent to knife handles. When boiled, bamboo shoots have a mild aroma, rich taste, crispness and natural sweetness.
Previously, bamboo shoots grew a lot on hillsides, people going to work in the fields often took advantage of digging them to process in meals. In recent years, the area of natural "bamboo shoots" has gradually decreased, while market demand has increased, making this type of bamboo shoot a product that many people look for to buy.
We followed Ms. Hoang Thi Trang, in Pang village, Chieng An ward, into the forest about 2km from her house. After 30 minutes of walking uphill, she quickly weaved through bamboo bushes, digging up soil to separate each newly sprouted bamboo shoot. In the season from July to September, each session she can dig 5-7kg of bamboo shoots, selling for 150,000 - 200,000 VND, helping her family have additional income to cover living expenses.
After rainy days, bamboo shoots grow a lot. Along National Highway 37, the section passing through Ta Khoa commune, people display bunches of fresh bamboo shoots along the road to sell to passersby. Each bunch usually weighs more than 1kg, priced at about 25,000-30,000 VND/kg.
Ms. Lo Thi Ha, who has many years of selling bamboo shoots in Ta Khoa commune, said that in the peak season, bamboo shoots grow a lot, people take advantage of going to the forest to harvest them for sale. Fresh bamboo shoots are favored by local customers and passersby, many people buy them as gifts.
Bamboo shoots after being washed are boiled on a wood stove for more than an hour, peeled off the old skin and then enjoyed with chẳm chéo - a typical spice of the Thai people. The crispy sweetness of bamboo shoots combined with the tingling spiciness of chẳm chéo creates a rustic but unforgettable dish.
Mr. Le Minh Cuong, a tourist from Hanoi, said that every time he goes to Son La during the bamboo shoot season, his family often goes to restaurants serving ethnic cuisine to enjoy this dish. Before returning, his family also buys bamboo shoots and cham xeo as gifts for relatives and friends.
Not only appearing in family meals, bamboo shoots are increasingly becoming a popular item in the market. At markets and roadside selling points in Son La, bundles of pure white bamboo shoots are displayed for sale, quickly attracting buyers.
Ms. Ha Thi Van, group 2, Chieng An ward, said that she usually buys bamboo shoots from people in the village, about 15-20kg each time, then boils them briefly and brings them to the market to sell. At the beginning of the season, bamboo shoot prices are usually high, when it is the peak season and the supply is abundant, the price decreases.
On average, each market session, she makes a profit of about 200,000 - 300,000 VND. Currently, bamboo shoots are not only consumed in the province but also ordered by customers in Hanoi and the lowland provinces through social networks.
Bamboo shoots not only retain the traditional flavor of the Thai people but also become a product that helps people in the highlands of Son La increase their income.
