Giant dragon bamboo, also known as crooked-foot dragon bamboo, is a species of bamboo in the genus *Mammillaria* of the subfamily Bambusoideae in the family Poaceae.

Giant dragon bamboo is currently the tallest bamboo species in the world, with a diameter of up to 30 centimeters and a culm height of over 30 meters. The tallest is said to reach 45 meters, equivalent to the height of a 15-story building, making it a true "King of Bamboo".

Their diameter can reach 20 to 36 centimeters. In 1983, a giant dragon bamboo was discovered with a diameter of over 100 centimeters and a circumference of over 300 centimeters.

They are mainly distributed in the areas inhabited by ethnic minorities such as the Wa, Dai and Lahu in southwestern and southern Yunnan, China, and grow in low mountains, hills and river valleys at altitudes of 600-1500 meters.

Therefore, some local residents would cut down the larger diameter bamboo and use it as washbasins or even children's bathtubs.

Because of the suitable growing environment of Giant Dragon Bamboo, the average annual temperature is 16-22°C, and the average temperature of the coldest month is above 10°C.

In addition, like rice, it prefers a hot and humid environment, which means it can only grow in tropical rainforests near water sources.

Because of its tall, thick, and high-quality material, giant bamboo can be used in building structures such as beams, columns, and roof trusses, exhibiting high strength and stability.

In addition, the Giant Dragon Bamboo has an extremely high bamboo shoot yield; a single bamboo shoot can grow to over 100 kilograms and reach a height of up to two meters.

I once saw a documentary about Dai people going up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots. A father and son worked all morning but only managed to dig up one bamboo shoot.

Moreover, it was carried home by two grown men using a wooden pole, and when they weighed it at home, it turned out to be over 180 jin (90 kg).

However, these bamboo shoots have a slightly bitter taste, but they are edible after blanching, and they are crisp and delicious. A local specialty of the Dai ethnic group is stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork, which uses bamboo shoots from this type of giant dragon bamboo.

This type of bamboo is highly adaptable to the tropics. With just one or two stalks, it can quickly grow into a large bamboo forest within a few years.

I was thinking that when I go back, it would be a good idea to bring some of these bamboo saplings back and plant them by the stream in front of my house.

However, I quickly realized that this idea was not feasible. Even the smaller bamboo shoots of the Giant Dragon Bamboo weighed several tens of kilograms, and the young plants were at least several meters tall and weighed over a hundred kilograms.

Even setting aside whether I could sustain walking such a long distance, the bamboo roots wouldn't lack water. Even if I added dozens of kilograms of soil to the roots to retain water, carrying such a huge thing on my back would still be a major problem.

In the end, I could only look at these tall bamboos with a sigh and shake my head. However, I still decided to go into the bamboo forest to see if I could find some good food and pick a smaller bamboo shoot.

After all, this thing is really heavy, and Top and I can't possibly eat too much of it.

Upon entering the bamboo forest, the oppressive heat instantly subsided. It was replaced by a refreshing and pleasant fragrance of bamboo, which explains why the ancients liked to plant bamboo near their dwellings.

Bamboo not only purifies the surrounding air, increasing the number of negative ions and making it fresher, but it is also an indispensable and excellent material for the home.

From firewood to ladles, from furniture to beams, and even to delicious food, bamboo can perfectly fulfill any task that requires its use.

Because the branches of the giant bamboo block most of the sunlight from above, there are very few weeds on the ground.

However, since the bamboo branches are mainly concentrated at the top, light from the side can still shine through the bamboo, which is tens of meters high.

It's not as dark as a forest; the light in this bamboo grove is just like opening the curtains at home during the day, so it doesn't feel oppressive.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of bamboo leaves. Not long after entering the bamboo forest, I was drawn to something hidden among the bamboo leaves.

I picked the net-like fungus and, after careful examination, confirmed that it was indeed a precious mountain delicacy—bamboo fungus.

Bamboo fungus, also known as bamboo shoot fungus or bamboo ginseng, is a cryptogamic fungus that parasitizes the roots of dead bamboo. The mature fruiting body is 12-20 cm tall, with a white, cup-shaped volva located at the base of the stipe, and several thick, cord-like hyphae growing at the bottom.

The stipe is white, hollow, round, tapering upwards, with a spongy wall. The cap is bell-shaped, with a distinct reticulate pattern, a flat apex, and perforations, covered with dark green, slightly foul-smelling, sticky spores. The veil is white, with polygonal meshes. The spores are smooth and elliptical.

Bamboo fungus is widely distributed throughout the world. It often grows in bamboo forests or under broad-leaved forests, in thick layers of soil with many dead branches and leaves, and also on decaying wood.

Bamboo fungus is an edible fungus with a delicious flavor and rich nutritional value. It is rich in protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and various trace elements.

Bamboo fungus fruiting bodies can be used to make various functional foods, health products, and medicines, and have enormous commercial potential.

In addition, the fruiting body of bamboo fungus can also be used as medicine, with effects such as replenishing qi and nourishing yin, moistening the lungs and relieving cough, clearing heat and promoting diuresis. It is mainly used to treat diseases such as lung deficiency and heat cough, laryngitis, dysentery, leukorrhea, and hypertension.

However, like other fungi, bamboo fungus can be fresh or aged.

Fresh bamboo fungus is white in color, soft in texture, and elastic. If the bamboo fungus turns yellow or black and becomes hard, it means it is no longer fresh and should not be eaten.

The bamboo fungus in front of me is pure white and very soft to the touch; it is clearly a freshly grown, top-quality product.

I know this stuff is a rare find in the city. If it's packaged in an exquisite gift box and paired with a few equally precious morel mushrooms, a box can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

If it's paired with a precious medicinal herb like a wild ginseng or black ginseng, it's not impossible for it to sell for tens of thousands of yuan a box.

I had only heard of bamboo before; we do have quite a few bamboo groves where I live, but this stuff isn't very common.

I've only heard from gourmets in Guangdong that if you use this to make soup with old hen and morel mushrooms, the delicious taste is simply heavenly.

The fresh and delicious flavor of this mountain delicacy is comparable to, and in some ways even surpasses, those expensive seafood products.

Just thinking about the steaming hot soup made with old hen and bamboo fungus makes my eyes well up with tears.

When it comes to making soup, I still highly regard the level of skill achieved in the Guangdong region.

I feel that their greatest hobby is making soup. They can make good soups, whether it's mountain delicacies or seafood. The most representative of these is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

The bamboo fungus here is of very high quality and in considerable quantity, perhaps because few people, or even no one, know that it is edible.

I feel that the local people here may not necessarily eat fungi, because there are many kinds of fungi, and if you don't recognize the type, you might accidentally die.