🍱 Shiozuke Takenoko no Tempura

Salted Bamboo Shoot "Tempura" is a simple dish made from salted bamboo shoots, that have been washed, seasoned with seasonings, and then tempura-ed(deep fry with batter). The bamboo shoots used in salted bamboo shoot tempura are high quality bamboo shoots from Chiba Prefecture. Chiba Prefecture is a famous for its bamboo shoots, with Otaki Town, Nagara Town, Chiba City, Kimitsu City, and Katsuura City, being the main production areas. The production of bamboo shoots in Chiba Prefecture is the largest in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Otaki Town in Isumi County is the most active producer in the prefecture, boasting the highest production in Chiba Prefecture. Otaki Town is located roughly in the center of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, and has the largest area of any town or village in the prefecture. Forests cover 70% of the total area, and it is believed that "Moso Bamboo" was first planted in the early to mid-Edo period. The Ootaki Bamboo shoots, produced in Ootaki Town are called "White Bamboo shoots" and as the name suggests, they are white. As a feature, it has less bitterness and harshness taste, and can be eaten without removal of scum. This high-quality bamboo shoot can be produced because the soil is clayey and acidic white soil that contains pebbles and rock debris. In addition, in order to "promote agriculture that does not burden the natural environment, Chiba Prefecture has been certifying "Chiba Eco Agricultural Products" since 2002, in which the amount of agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers used is reduced to less than half of the normal level. Bamboo shoots in Chiba are grown without the use of pesticides, with less than half the amount of chemical fertilizers, and the number of parent bamboos is properly managed.