Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Shoot Rice)

Name: Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Shoot Rice)
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4〜6人分
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: Boiled bamboo shoots 150 g; Rice 3 cups (540 ml / about 450 g); Water 540 ml (including the soaking liquid); Aburaage (fried tofu pouch) 1 sheet; Carrot 60 g; Kinome (young sansho leaves) a few; [Marinade] Soy sauce 3 tbsp; [Marinade] Sugar 1 tbsp; [Marinade] Sake 1½ tbsp

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Japanese

Region: 宮城県

Servings: 4〜6人分

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Shoot Rice) is a home-style staple dish. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Ingredients

Boiled bamboo shoots 150 g
Rice 3 cups (540 ml / about 450 g)
Water 540 ml (including the soaking liquid)
Aburaage (fried tofu pouch) 1 sheet
Carrot 60 g
Kinome (young sansho leaves) a few
[Marinade] Soy sauce 3 tbsp
[Marinade] Sugar 1 tbsp
[Marinade] Sake 1½ tbsp

Steps

Rinse the rice, drain in a colander, and leave about 30 minutes to shed excess water.
For the boiled bamboo shoots, thinly slice the tips into wedges and cut the bases into short 3 cm matchsticks. Different cuts for tip and base give contrasting textures.
Cut the carrot into thin 3 cm matchsticks. Pour hot water over the aburaage to remove oil, halve lengthwise, and slice into thin strips.
In a bowl combine the marinade soy sauce, sugar, and sake; add bamboo shoots, carrot, and aburaage and marinate about 10 minutes.
Strain through a colander, separating liquid and solids. Top up the liquid with water to 540 ml.
Put the rice in the rice-cooker pot, pour in the liquid from step 5, give a quick stir, and spread the fillings flat on top of the rice (do not mix in). Cook on the normal setting.
When done, steam 10 minutes, then fluff thoroughly from the bottom with a rice paddle. Serve in bowls; clap the kinome in your palm to release aroma, then place on top.

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Notes

For fresh bamboo shoots, trim the tip on a slant, score lengthwise, and boil 50–60 minutes in plenty of water with a handful of rice bran and one red chili under a drop-lid. When a skewer slides easily into the base, turn off the heat, cool in the liquid, then peel.

Cooking the fillings on top of the rice keeps their weight and the soy sauce from blocking absorption and leaving hard centers.

Adding 100 g diced chicken thigh for the cook boosts umami and makes a heartier bowl.

Leftovers freeze well wrapped per serving. They also make excellent onigiri.

Origin and history

Takenoko gohan is rice simmered with spring bamboo shoots, aburaage, and carrot in a soy seasoning. Available only in season, it is loved nationwide as a homemade taste that announces spring.

Miyagi is said to lie near the northern limit of moso bamboo in Japan, and the southern hills are rich in bamboo groves. In spring people dig local shoots, boil them the same day, and enjoy them as takikomi rice or simmered dishes.

The longer shoots sit after digging, the stronger the astringency, so boiling them fresh has long been prized. Some homes add wild greens, shiitake, or chicken; kinome on the finished rice lets you savor spring with its scent.