For green bamboo shoots, pick the white, curved, short and plump ones shaped like ox horns - they taste the best; cooking them together with rice makes them even more delicious

Text / Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station

"Green bamboo shoots" are the most in-season agricultural product of summer. What makes green bamboo shoots different from other bamboo shoots is that when they emerge from the soil they first grow downward and then upward, so the shoot body curves into an ox-horn shape, with a broad base and thick, plump flesh. Green bamboo shoots make their grand debut in mid-May, and June is the most delicious season for them. Among them, those with an ox-horn-like curved shape and a weight of about 300-400 grams have the best texture. The best trick for selecting them is to go to the market the day after rain, or in the morning, to pick green bamboo shoots that were just harvested at dawn.