Bamboo shoots were a very common ingredient with a wonderfully fresh flavor, a delicacy particularly suited to enjoying in season, and one of the treasures of the mountains.
But Heath had some other thoughts about bamboo shoots. He had once visited Yun Province, a frontier province of China, where an ethnic minority prepared bamboo shoots another way: fermenting them into sour bamboo shoots, much like pickled vegetables. Once prepared, the sour bamboo shoots tasted wonderful and were also an excellent choice for making all sorts of dishes with rich textures and flavors.
Sour Bamboo Shoots Chicken was one of them.
Although sour bamboo shoots could also be found in some other Chinese provinces, Heath still preferred those made by that ethnic minority. They tasted a little sweet and sour, with subtle variations in flavor depending on how they were prepared, and using those sour bamboo shoots to make Sour Bamboo Shoots Chicken was an excellent choice too.
So Heath took out a large portion of the spring bamboo shoots to make into sour bamboo shoots. But it was a lot of work, and Farfetch'd still had to make Crab Roe Soup Dumplings first, so Heath could only prepare the sour bamboo shoots himself. He still had not finished when the food truck arrived at his usual daily spot.
"Good morning. Do you have breakfast today?" At the familiar voice, Heath hurriedly put down the bamboo shoots in his hands and stood up. Then he saw the little boy he had met yesterday, the boy named Kailunya.
Heath turned to glance at Farfetch'd, who shook his head. The Crab Roe Soup Dumplings were not ready yet, and anyone wanting that first bite of piping-hot soup dumpling would have to wait a while longer.
"Yes, but right now I can only offer