Kanazawa City and surrounding areas

Bamboo shoots, kelp

The mountains near the historical city of Kanazawa, which once flourished as a castle town, are now known as a production center of bamboo shoots.
Kanazawa City has branded bamboo shoots from the Uchikawa, Nuka, and Kinjo districts as "Kaga vegetables" and is promoting them both within and outside the city. The moso bamboo, which is certified as a Kaga vegetable, is said to have been introduced from Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the Edo period (1603-1868). It is characterized by its unique sweetness and freshness. In 1927 and 1933, canning factories of bamboo shoots were constructed.
One of the bamboo shoot dishes is "bamboo shoot kelp. This is a simple dish of bamboo shoots and kelp simmered in soup stock. From the Edo period to the Meiji period, Kitamae-bune, a group of merchant ships that traveled between Hokkaido and Osaka, used the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture as a port of call. Because of this relationship, Kanazawa City received a large influx of kelp from Hokkaido.
Because of this, it is clear that "bamboo shoot kelp" is a dish that combines two traditional ingredients.

Bamboo shoots in Kanazawa are shipped from late April to mid-May every year. There is a cycle called "Omote-nen" and "Ura-nen," the former meaning a good harvest year and the latter meaning a bad harvest year. These "front" and "back" years come in turns. Even so, the prefecture ships approximately 1,000 tons of bamboo shoots in the "front" year and 600 tons in the "back" year. Bamboo shoots from Kanazawa City are responsible for most of the prefecture's production, and there are many opportunities to procure them locally. Bamboo shoot kelp is a familiar home-style bamboo shoot dish.

Boil bamboo shoots in advance, add water, cut kelp into pieces, and simmer them with light soy sauce or mirin before eating. When simmering, use kombu dipping sauce for a fuller, richer flavor. Freshly harvested bamboo shoots can also be eaten raw.

It is still a local delicacy and is eaten in homes and restaurants. In the Uchikawa district of Kanazawa City, an annual "bamboo shoot festival" is held in spring. This festival aims to increase consumption of bamboo shoots and promote the local community, and has been held more than 30 times so far. At the community center, where the festival is held, bamboo shoots are served with rice, tempura, and simmered dishes, attracting crowds of people who come to enjoy the taste of spring.