Tradition that treats the taste buds

Reed shoots, a delicacy of Yuanjiang in Hunan province, are nurtured by the silt formed through the confluence of six rivers in the county.

Yuanjiang sits at the junction of the rivers, beside Dongting Lake.

The sediment from the waterways formed the land in the area and has fed the lush reed growth since ancient times.

The jade-colored shoots are tender, crisp and fresh, said Guo Jianping, director of Yuanjiang's Wetland Conservation Bureau. They go extremely well with fish, chicken, beef and other vegetables.

"The reed shoots are natural, organic and environmentally friendly. They are part of a rich legacy for the local people," he said.

The shoots are traditionally boiled with meat, but they can also be fried and made into salads.

The fame of Yuanjiang's reed shoots has been recorded since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, more than 1,000 years ago.

Restricted by a short harvesting period and storing techniques, the reed shoots were initially a seasonal dish. The plants were later preserved in salt.

Reed shoots have also appeared in ancient literature.

Famous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poets like Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi showed their appreciation of the delicacy in their works.

Yuanjiang is now one of the country's largest reed-producing areas.

Its first "tasting conference" for reed shoots was held in April 2015, when master chefs demonstrated various ways to cook the plants.

The popularity of reed shoots as a major Hunan dish continues to spread far and wide. The cuisine of the province was shown at a tasting event in Paris last month, with Yuanjiang's reed shoots expected to form a representative dish.

Yuanjiang authorities are also pushing ahead to develop markets for the delicacy in Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn