When the solar term Awakening of Insects（惊蛰） arrives, kitchens in southern Anhui start simmering a seasonal favorite: braised spring bamboo shoots with pork.

This is when the first shoots push through the soil. Sliced and slow cooked with pork, they turn tender and juicy, soaking up all that rich flavor while keeping their fresh crunch. It’s simple, comforting, and tastes like early spring.

There’s an old saying in China: eat bamboo shoots at the Awakening of Insects and you’ll rise step by step. The shoots grow in segments, one joint above another, so they’ve long symbolized steady progress and moving upward in life.

A dish you only get this time of year. Would you try it?

Produced by Cheng Xuqi, AICC