野菜の旬は待ち遠しいものだ。国や地域の料理においてもっとも特徴的なものの一つは季節野菜だろう。季節の巡りは、成長、成熟、死、再生の繰り返しだ。我々の先祖はその繰り返しに一喜一憂しながら生を繋いできた。旬を食べるということは、再生した命の輝きを真っ先に分けてもらうということだ。だから地域ごとの季節の野菜を使った料理はとりわけご馳走なのだ。
竹が生活圏にある地域では、筍が他の山菜とともに春の訪れを告げるご馳走になる。雪で閉ざされていた大地から芽吹いてくる生命には特別の思い入れがあるのだ。

We look forward to the season for vegetables. One of the most distinctive features of a country or region's cuisine is seasonal vegetables. The cycle of the seasons is a repetition of growth, maturity, death, and rebirth. Our ancestors continued to live while experiencing joy and sorrow as this cycle progressed. Eating seasonal foods means being the first to share in the brilliance of reborn life. That's why dishes using seasonal vegetables in each region are particularly delicious.
In areas where bamboo is a common crop, bamboo shoots and other wild vegetables are a delicacy that heralds the arrival of spring. There is a special feeling attached to the life that sprouts from the earth that has been closed off by snow.

ここで紹介するのは、筍をご飯に炊き込んだだけのシンプルな米料理。日本人なら誰でも春に一回は食べる料理だ。鰹出汁を使ったり鶏肉を入れたり色んなアレンジがあるのだけれど、寺院が出自の僕にはこのレシピが一択。昆布出汁を使った、採れたての筍の繊細な味を楽しむために、味醂や砂糖などの余計な味付けはしない精進仕立てのシンプルな筍ご飯だ。付け合わせは薄揚げのみ。
筍が育ちすぎて硬くなったり収穫後時間が経ってえぐみが出てくると、甘味や旨みをもっと足したくなるのだけど、新鮮で柔らかい筍ならそれは蛇足。当然ベジタリアンも楽しめる一品ではあるのだけど、この料理はそう行った事情とは関係なくこの必要最小限の味付けだけで完結する。

What I'm introducing here is a simple rice dish where bamboo shoots are simply cooked into rice. It's a dish that every Japanese person eats at least once in the spring. There are various variations, such as using bonito stock or adding chicken, but for me, who comes from a temple, this recipe is the only choice. This is a simple bamboo shoot rice in a vegetarian style, without any unnecessary seasonings such as mirin or sugar, in order to enjoy the delicate flavor of freshly picked bamboo shoots using kelp stock. The only garnish is thin fried tofu.
When bamboo shoots grow too hard or become bitter after a while after harvesting, even I want to add more sweetness or umami, but with fresh, soft bamboo shoots, that's unnecessary. Of course, this is a dish that vegetarians can enjoy, but regardless of such circumstances, this dish is complete with just the bare minimum of seasonings.

Ingredients:
材料：

筍（小ぶりで柔らかいもの、または先端の柔らかい部分）
米（ジャポニカ種ないしその近縁種）
昆布
お揚げ※
自然塩
薄口醤油
※必須ではない

Bamboo shoots (small and soft, or the soft tip)
Rice (Japonica or related species)
Kombu kelp
Fried tofu*
Natural salt
Light type soy sauce
*Optional

procedure:
手順:

筍は泥を落として先端と根の部分に二等分する。先端部は身の入ってない部分を切り捨て、後で剥きやすいように縦に包丁目を入れておく。根の部分は鍋に合わせてさらに何当分かに切り分けておく、
鍋に切り分けた筍を入れてたっぷりの水を入れて茹でる。新しければ、糠などのアク抜きを入れる必要はない。竹串がスッと通るくらいの柔らかさになるまで茹でる。
ここまでは前もって作業しておいても良い。掘り立てをすぐ茹でて、冷蔵庫に入れておけば鮮度が保てる。
筍を切り分ける。柔らかい部分は繊維に沿って、硬い根元に近い方は繊維を断ち切る方向にスライスすると良い。お揚げはお湯をかけて酸化した油を洗い流し、細かく刻んでおく。米は洗って３０分ほど吸水しておく。
鍋に洗った米を入れて、米１に対し重量比1.4倍の水を注ぐ。昆布を米180グラムに対して15センチくらいの長さのものを一枚の割合で入れ、筍とお揚げも入れる。自然塩で大方の味を決め、少量の薄口醤油で目標の味に整える。ムラがあると味がブレるので、全体をかき混ぜてから味見をすると良い。薄口醤油がない場合または好みで、控えめに濃口醤油を使っても良い。
鍋を強火で加熱し、沸騰したら弱火にして１２分から１５分炊いて火を止める。火を止めたら蓋を開けずに１０分間蒸らしてから、米粒を潰さないようにざっくり上下をかき混ぜ提供する。炊飯器がある場合はこの工程は機械にお任せで良い。

Remove the dirt from the bamboo shoots and cut them into two equal parts, the tip and the root. Cut off the flesh-free part of the tip and make a vertical cut with a knife to make it easier to peel later. Cut the root into several pieces to fit the pot.
Put the cut bamboo shoots in a pot, add plenty of water and bring to a boil. If the bamboo shoots are fresh, there is no need to add bran or other agents to remove the bitterness. Boil until they are soft enough to easily pierce with a bamboo skewer.
You can do this up to this point in advance. Boiling freshly dug bamboo shoots immediately and storing them in the refrigerator will keep them fresh.
Cut the bamboo shoots into pieces. Slice the soft parts along the grain and slice the parts closer to the tough root in the direction that cuts the grain. Pour hot water over the fried tofu to wash off the oxidized oil, then chop it into small pieces. Wash the rice and let it absorb water for about 30 minutes.
Put the washed rice in a pot and add water in an amount that is 1.4 times the weight of one gram of rice. Add one piece of kelp, about 15cm long, for every 180g of rice, then add the bamboo shoots and fried tofu. Season with sea salt for the most part, and add a small amount of light type soy sauce to achieve the desired taste. The flavor may vary depending on the location, so it's a good idea to stir the whole thing before tasting it.If you don't have light type soy sauce or prefer it, you can use dark type soy sauce sparingly.
Heat the pot over high heat, and once it boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, then turn off the heat. After turning off the heat, leave it to steam for 10 minutes without opening the lid, then roughly stir the rice up and down to avoid crushing the grains before serving. If you have a rice cooker, you can let the machine do this step.

Tips and tricks:  
コツと応用のヒント：

筍は必ずしも一本丸ごと使う必要はなく、小さく柔らかいものがなければ、この料理には柔らかい穂先に近い部分だけを使い、他の部分は他の料理に使えば良い。筍は煮物揚げ物点心など、応用先が広いので、まとめて仕込んでおくと便利。
筍は収穫してから時間が経つにつれ、えぐ味といったアクが増えてくる。そういう場合は、米や小麦粉などの澱粉、米糠などを一緒に煮れば、このアクを吸収してくれる。ただ、新鮮な筍ならば、糠臭くなるだけなのでアク抜きは入れない方が良い。
ここでお揚げを入れているには、昆布の旨味を揚げが吸収して味のアクセントになる工夫だけど、本当に筍の香りだけを堪能したいなら、必ずしも入れる必要はない。
この料理にはお米の種類は蒸したり炊いたりして美味しいものが一番ふさわしいが、インディカ種を使うならビリアニやリゾットのような料理法が適している。
ここで使っているには南洋系の孟宗竹だけど、旬が２ヶ月ずれて来る真竹や姫竹を使っても良い。旬が２度楽しめる。

You don't necessarily need to use the whole bamboo shoot. If you can't find any small, soft ones, you can use only the soft part near the tip for this dish and use the other parts for other dishes. Bamboo shoots can be used in a wide variety of ways, such as simmered dishes, fried dishes, and dim sum, so it's convenient to prepare them in bulk.
As time passes after harvesting, bamboo shoots become more bitter and have a harsh taste. In that case, boiling them with rice, starch such as flour, or rice bran will absorb the bitterness. However, if the bamboo shoots are fresh, it's better not to add a bitterness remover, as it will just make the bamboo shoots smell like bran.
The reason we add fried tofu here is because the fried food absorbs the umami of the kelp, adding an accent to the flavor, but if you really want to enjoy the aroma of the bamboo shoots alone, it's not necessary to add it.
The best type of rice for this dish is one that tastes good when steamed or cooked, but if you use an indica variety, it's suitable for cooking methods such as biryani or risotto.
The bamboo used here is the South Seas Moso bamboo, but you can also use Madake bamboo or Himetake, bamboo which are in season two months apart. You can enjoy the season twice.

Guide to where to find ingredients
材料入手先ガイド