Back to the Roots

Yes'sa, Spring is here in Japan with beautiful days, chilly nights, and the impending blossoming of cherry trees. You may remember I burned bamboo a few posts ago in preparation for the baby shoots. Well went out foraging yesterday.

It's still a about a week early to really get bamboo shoots, but yesterday wasn't for a feast. No, it was to give offering to the god enshrined at my dwelling. First early harvest of any crop goes to the god to ask for a bountiful year. So yesterday I went out with the priest friend of mine to search for these elusive roots. Elusive because it is still a bit early so they aren't really poking through the ground yet, and because of the blanket of old bamboo leaves that cover the grove.

So you kinda walk about in a shuffle step and feel for where the ground is harder than the surrounding area. This probably means there is a root developing underneath. Dig a bit with your finger, then if it's there, dig and hack away with your hoe to pull out these tasty morsels.

This was yesterday's haul. Not a lot, but enough for god, I guess. Looking forward to next week when mortals can partake in the offering.