Kochi

The special bamboo shoot that was only available locally can now be enjoyed anywhere!

Shihochiku

Shihochiku is a kind of bamboo shoot that is a specialty of Nankoku city, Kochi prefecture. It originally came to Kochi from China during the Meiji period. Its crunchy texture and the “bitterness” were people’s favorite points and it has been appreciated as a rare wild vegetable of autumn. The harvesting season is one month from mid October, and because they become spoiled so easily that when the skins are removed the colors immediately start to change, they were only eaten locally. However when one day a farmer tried boiling it without removing the skin he discovered that it can be preserved without losing its taste, and nowadays it is transported across Japan as a specialty of Nankoku city.