Mao Bamboo needs to be planted away from mulberries and pines, 毛竹最好就是要干净，不要等桑木松木都种起来了，

otherwise they won't grow well or produce bamboo shoots. 就影响了毛竹的生长，笋就挖不到了，

Bao is a Zhejiang native.The biggest-ever bamboo shoot in Suichang was harvested in his bamboo forest. 老包是浙江人。他的毛竹林里长出过遂昌最大的一个冬笋。

The winter bamboo shoot hides in the earth, and is hard to find on the surface. 冬笋藏在土层的下面，从竹林的表面上看什么也没有。

But Bao can easily locate the bamboo shoot by only observing the color of bamboo leaves. 老包只需要看一下竹梢的颜色就能知道笋的准确位置。

Under the lifeless earth, a bamboo shoot is silently growing. 在这一片了无生机的土层之下正有冬笋萌发。

The winter bamboo shoot is seasonal and hard to preserve. 冬笋时令性极强又难以保存。

After being peeled, it leaves little left to be cooked. 一棵冬笋去掉笋衣之后，可食用的部分所剩无几。

Chinese chefs love it because it is single-grained, able to easily absorb the flavor of added garnishes. 中国厨师爱它也是因为笋的质地单纯极易吸收搭配食物的滋味。

In particular, it can help attain a flavor balance when being cooked with greasy fatty meat. 尤其是与肥腻的肉类脂肪可以形成美妙的平衡。

Bao always looks for 4-year-old bamboo plants before locating bamboo shoots. 浙江的老包找笋，先找到4年生的竹子。

Digging along the subterranean stem and picking the shoots gently are necessary to prevent the roots from being harmed. 顺着竹鞭挖，找到笋之后轻刨轻取，不伤根。

Covered with earth, the harvested shoots can be preserved for over two weeks in a natural way. 笋取出来，要盖好土，就地利用自然可以保鲜两周以上。

1,500 kilometers southwest of eastern Zhejiang, a lush summer falls on a bamboo forest in Liuzhou. 从中国东部的浙江，一路向西南1500公里就走进柳州盛夏的竹林。

Guangxi native Ye Yaliang manages a bamboo forest that produces large, sweet bamboo shoots. 阿亮是广西人，他的竹林里生长的是大头甜笋。

The most tender bamboo shoots can be harvested between mid-June and mid-September. 6月中旬左右到9月中旬，这个时间是采笋的季节最细腻的最嫩的竹笋。

Bamboo shoots will solidify shortly after breaking through the soil. 通常而言，竹笋破土而出见风则硬。

They turn old and bitter if not dug up in time. 如果不及时采挖就会苦涩变老。

Ye's forest yields the rhizome shoot that grows in summer. 阿亮家的笋属于夏天生的鞭笋。

It's not as tender as the winter bamboo shoot, but it is the main ingredient for making Liuzhou Sour Bamboo Shoot. 口感远不如冬笋鲜嫩，但这种笋正是用来制作柳州酸笋的原料。