Bamboo Barbecue

We went with a group of locals for a hillside hike and a barbecue. We (by we I mean, they) hunted down bamboo shoots to grill.

This is what a freshly liberated bamboo shoot looks like. To find them, the men and women would hike around where the bamboo was growing and feel for those little shoots with their feet. Most of what he is holding he had to dig out of the ground.They cut off the outer layers of the bamboo, wrapped them up in tin foil, and put them over the hot coals. It seems like it took a long time to cook, but it was worth it!

When it was finally done, they unwrapped it and sprinkled it with soy sauce. Someone compared the taste to somewhere between asparagus and water chestnuts. I would agree. To me it was a little closer to water chestnuts than asparagus.
They grilled a lot of different foods. These sea snails were another food they had. I didn't try them, they're not my cup of tea. My husband had one and said they were edible, but not great and he likes most food.

Plucking the meat from the shell.