Fresh bamboo shoots, freshly harvested, are sold at Van Ban market.

Van Ban, home of many delicious bamboo shoots, has made a name for itself in the natural specialties of Lao Cai's highlands. Not only famous for vao bamboo shoots, nua bamboo shoots, tre bamboo shoots, sat bamboo shoots. From July to September, Van Ban boi bamboo shoots are sought after by many diners because of their fragrant, delicious, sweet, and easy-to-eat dishes that are suitable for many people.

Boi bamboo shoots are sweet, soft, healthy, and easy to process. Fresh bamboo shoots can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator. Before cooking, peel off the hard outer leaves, cut off the old stem and cook dishes according to your preferences. Van Ban boi bamboo shoots are not damaged, so when processing, diners do not have to boil them like some other types of bamboo shoots.

Fascinating dishes made from Van Ban boi bamboo shoots.

According to the people here, boi bamboo shoots can make many dishes. If it is boiled, boil the whole shoots, when it is cooked, cut them into pieces, dip them with spicy "cham cheo" dipping sauce that is very tasty. Change the flavor of the soup, slice it into thin pieces, cook with a little minced meat or stew bone, add a little herbs depending on your taste, the diners will have cool bamboo shoot soup. If diners want to enjoy stir-fried bamboo shoots, thinly slice bamboo shoots, stir-fry with oil (fat) and add a little Chinese coriander, you will have an attractive and easy-to-eat fried bamboo shoot dish. In addition, bamboo shoots are also soaked with chili garlic, to make an attractive condiment in meals or as a salad with hemp, spinach, galangal, and ginger, garlic, chili, and mac Khen, to have anti-inflammatory dishes. Tired of hot summer days…

Boi bamboo shoots grow from about April to November of the solar calendar, at most from July to September. To keep the bamboo shoots abundant, the bamboo bush does not wilt, people often dig and trim the bamboo shoots that grow inside the bamboo bushes, leaving the bamboo shoots to grow outside to grow into bamboo. In recent years, according to the growing demand of the market, Van Ban district has supported people with seedlings and fertilizers to grow on expanding the area of ​​growing bamboo shoots, making them gradually become one of the local leading plants.

According to Ms. Phung, who specializes in selling bamboo shoots at the market in Van Ban town, said: "I am the bamboo shoot seller, on average, I can sell from 50 kg to 1 quintal per day to sell wholesale for restaurants. The price of boi bamboo shoots at the beginning of the season ranges from 40-50 thousand VND/kg. As for the bamboo shoot season, which is blossoming now, the price is also from 20-25 thousand VND/kg. The way to choose bamboo shoots, young shoots that have not yet grown from the ground, are the most delicious. There are also people who prefer to eat old bamboo shoots, which have already grown out of the ground. This boi bamboo shoot is delicious, sweet, crispy, not greasy, easy to eat and easy to prepare, so many people buy it as gifts for friends and relatives in and out of the province.”

If you have the opportunity to come to Van Ban - Lao Cai, do not forget to enjoy boi bamboo shoots, a rustic dish with unique flavor of Van Ban district.