Spring rain falls gently, nourishing all things. In the mountains and forests, bamboo shoots emerge from the earth one after another. "Tasting the fresh, none speak not of spring shoots." Spring shoots are a treasure from the mountains, a Chinese delicacy celebrated for a thousand years, beloved by people for their crisp and tender flesh, fresh and fragrant flavor, and rich nutrition.
It is said that Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was very fond of bamboo shoots. Whenever spring shoots came to market, he would summon his ministers to a grand banquet to feast on them. He used bamboo shoots to symbolize the prosperity of the nation, comparing the flourishing talents of the Tang Dynasty to "bamboo shoots after a spring rain." Su Dongpo also adored bamboo shoots. When he first arrived in Huangzhou, he saw that the mountains were surrounded by bamboo and immediately wrote the verse: "The Yangtze River winds around the city, I know the fish are fine; good bamboo covers the hills, I smell the shoots' fragrance." Later, he also wrote in a poem: "Without meat, one grows thin; without bamboo, one grows coarse. If you wish to be neither thin nor coarse, eat braised shoots every day." Li Yu, in his "Xian Qing Ou Ji," gave bamboo shoots the highest praise: "The freshest and most beautiful thing, the first among vegetables. How can fatty lamb and tender pig compare?" He meant that with bamboo shoots, the rich and fragrant pork, lamb, and beef no longer caught his eye, showing his great love for them.
Stir-fried spring shoots with cured pork, aromatic and full of flavor, is a famous specialty of my hometown. The spring shoots and cured pork are sliced thinly, then blanched separately—the former to remove astringency, the latter to reduce saltiness. Use high heat to stir-fry ginger, garlic, and chilies until fragrant, then add the cured pork and stir-fry for a moment. Immediately add the spring shoots and stir-fry together over a high flame to maintain their tenderness and freshness. Then, add fermented black beans, cooking wine, and a small amount of water, switch to medium heat, and simmer until the sauce is almost absorbed. The crisp spring shoots, infused with the aroma of the cured pork, become even more rich and delicious.
If you slice the spring shoots into small rounds and stir-fry them with eggs, the golden color reveals a fresh jade-like white, and that alluring aroma is sure to stir your appetite, making your mouth water. Besides fresh shoots, dried bamboo shoots are also a common delicacy on my family's table all year round. Dried shoots stewed with pork ribs or braised with river fish always make us say, "We'd eat bamboo shoots at every meal, not meat."