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Spring: the season of bamboo and coltsfoot
 Bamboo |
The time when sakura is blossoming all around Japan has come. We have already told you about this Japanese national symbol (article "Sakura gohan: two Japanese symbols in one course"). Today we want to tell you about bamboo (take), a plant that plays an important role in life of the Japanese, and coltsfoot (akita fuki).
Hard, light and solid wood let use bamboo in different ways. In old times houses, bridges and water-pipes were built of bamboo. Nowadays furniture, household goods, clothes and footwear, musical instruments, samurai bows, different crafts etc. are made of it. The most outstanding masters at bamboo craft get state rewards in Japan.
Bamboo, straight and unbending, since olden times has been filled with philosophical meaning and acted as a symbol of honest and straight person. Japanese painters liked to depict bamboo very much.  Bamboo sprouts |
Young bamboo sprouts are eaten in cookery as vegetable. Sprouts that have just appeared from soil are covered with very strong dark brown leaves which are to be removed before processing. Bamboo sprouts are widely used in Japan. In Russia it is not wide spread. So to prepare bamboo dishes one will need canned bamboo sprouts.
Spring is the time of herbs and plants. The Japanese cuisine uses them widely. So, pleasant crunching, odor and delicate green color of coltsfoot stems allow to cook various tasty dishes which sometimes resemble meat ones. Coltsfoot' leaves could be used to cook snacks of tsukudani type.
 Coltsfoot |
Coltsfoot stems are covered with rough rind. It's necessary to remove it before cooking. For that stems are cut so that can be put into a pot. Cut stems are salted a bit and rolled a little on a cutting board. When rind begins to separate cut stems are put into boiling water and boiled. Then stems are washed in running water and rind is removed.
We offer you a number of recipes with bamboo sprouts and coltsfoot.
Takenoko gohan
(rice with bamboo sprouts)
Ingredients (3 servings):
Rice - 3 cups
Canned bamboo - to taste
Salmon (low-salt) - 3 pieces
Pot-herbs - to taste
Ginger root - to taste
Dashi (or dashinomoto powder) - 380 ml
Sake (or white wine) - 1,5 tbsp
Soy sauce - 0,5 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - to taste
Preparation:
1. Wash rice, leave it in water for 10 minutes, and then pour water out through gauze. Cut bamboo shoots into small triangular pieces. Pour greens with hot salty water, dry out a bit, and slice into pieces of 2-3 cm. Boil salmon, put in a cup, add lemon juice, soy sauce, sake (or wine), and leave for a while. Then cut fish into small pieces.
2. Boil dashi, add sake (or wine) and salt. Boil again and then add bamboo sprouts. Turn off fire and leave it to cool down to room temperature.
3. Put fish, dashi with bamboo, and rice in a pot (or rice-cooker). Cook as usual.
4. Put cooked rice in plates, decorate with greens and serve.
Boiled bamboo sprouts and coltsfoot
Ingredients:
Canned bamboo sprouts - 1 jar
Coltsfoot - 2-3 stems
Parsley or other pot-herbs - to taste
Salt - to taste
Bullion - 1 tbsp
For bullion:
Soy sauce - to taste
Wine - to taste
Concentrated bullion - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Lemon or vinegar - to taste
Salt - 0,5 tsp
Preparation:
1. Cut bamboo sprouts into pieces convenient for eating.
2. Move coltsfoot leaves away. Dredge stems with salt and roll on a cutting board.
3. Put coltsfoot stems in boiling water and boil. Then wash them in running water and take the rind away. Cut stems into pieces of 4-5 cm.
4. Put bamboo sprouts and other ingredients, except coltsfoot stems, in broth. For all ingredients get covered with broth add some water in it. Cook on low fire till the broth evaporates by half. Then add coltsfoot stems and boil for a while.
5. Put cooked dish in cups.
6. You can add shrimps or fish in this dish. As a result you'll get a cheap but splendid dish.
Bamboo and coltsfoot tempura
Ingredients:
Bamboo sprouts
Coltsfoot stems
For dough:
2 eggs
2 cups cold water
2 cups flour
For sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp sake
3 tbsp daikon
Preparation:
1. Do up eggs in a bowl. Add ice water. Add flour and mix a little.
2. If you have canned bamboo sprouts, you can cook them without cutting into pieces. It's better to boil coltsfoot stems for a while to get rid of bitter taste, though some people like it.
3. Roll bamboo sprouts and coltsfoot stems in dough and deep-fry them. Great difference in temperature between the ingredients and oil is essential if you like to get a crispy crust.
4. If tempura is served with rice the dish is called "tendon".
Boiled coltsfoot stems
Coltsfoot is widespread in Russia. So it won't be complicated to prepare this dish.
To enjoy both crunching stems and their original bitter taste, it's necessary to boil them quickly, cool down, add salt and seasonings and let them draw. It will take about 15 minutes to prepare this dish.
Fried coltsfoot stems
1. Coltsfoot stems are covered with tough rind. So it's necessary to cut leaves off, remove rind and cut stems into edible pieces. After that your hands will become black because of stems' juice. This juice is the reason for bitter taste.
2. Soak cleaned stems in baking soda to get rid of bitter taste.
3. Fry onion and coltsfoot stems in oil.
4. When onion and stems are roasted a bit, add concentrated broth and soy sauce to make the taste better.
5. You may add fish or chicken in this dish.
6. Coltsfoot stems are rich in dietary fibers and are good for those suffering from constipations.
Coltsfoot leaves fried with chum salmon
Ingredients (4 servings):
Coltsfoot' leaves - 1 bunch
Chum salmon - 20 g
Vegetable oil - 1,5 tbsp
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Bullion - 1 tbsp
Preparation:
1. Cook washed coltsfoot leaves in salty boiling water and cool down in cold one.
2. Throw boiling hot water on chum salmon, shake water off and mash fish with hands.
3. Squash coltsfoot leaves well and cut them into small pieces.
4. Put leaves in a hot pan with oil and fry till leaves get soaked with oil. Then add spices (soy sauce, sugar etc) and continue to fry till chum salmon is ready.
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