Description
The representative home-cooked dish of Jiangnan spring. 'You Men' is a technique of frying in generous oil and steam-braising. Fresh bamboo shoots are reduced with soy and massive sugar until they glow pitch-black. The ultimate sweet-savory rice thief.
Restaurants serving You Men Sun (Jiangnan Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots)
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Spring bamboo shoots
- Soy sauce
- Dark soy
- Sugar
- Cooking wine
- Scallion
- Veg oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Peel bamboo, smash to create cracks, and cut into chunks.
- Blanch to remove astringency.
- Heat generous oil and fry scallion.
- Add bamboo and fry until browned and oil is absorbed.
- Add soy, dark soy, massive sugar, and wine. Add minimal water.
- Cover and steam-braise on low for
- mins.
- Open lid and blast on high to evaporate liquid.
- When the sugar caramelizes and glazes the bamboo in a pitch-black shine, it's done.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense sweetness and depth of caramelized dark soy and sugar
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Use JP boiled bamboo shoots and reduce with soy/sugar
Pairing
White Rice / Shaoxing Wine
Trivia
[Trivia] Perfectly embodies the 'Nong You Chi Jiang' philosophy using purely a vegetable. Because it uses seasonal shoots, the aroma signals the arrival of spring for locals.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Though pitch-black, it retains a fresh crunch. Despite ZERO meat, it possesses a rich sweet-savory depth like braised pork, making it the King of Vegetables that empties rice bowls.
Allergen
Soybeans, Wheat