Villagers in Phayao Harvest Seasonal Bamboo Jelly for Spicy Salad
In Phayao province, villagers collect a seasonal bamboo jelly known locally as feang during the late rainy season. The jelly is harvested from specific bamboo species, cleaned, and most famously prepared as a spicy salad with chilli, garlic, salt and sometimes cooked fish. This delicacy appears only once a year.
During the late rainy season in Phayao province, locals head into the woods to gather seasonal forest foods, notably bamboo jelly, also referred to as feang by some communities. This jelly is found inside the stalks of certain bamboo varieties, especially in areas of shoebox bamboo and bamboo bong. It appears as a clear, soft, and springy substance resembling jelly but lacking the sweetness of regular candy. It is typically available from the rainy season through the onset of cool weather.
Reporter Pananwichaya Yudii of Khao Saad newspaper, Phayao, explained that villagers walk through bamboo groves, relying on experience to identify suitable stalks by observing the bark and sheath. When they notice a sheath beginning to loosen or detach, they check whether the interior segment contains jelly. Using a knife or other tool, they carefully bore into the middle of the segment; if jelly is present, they remove it into a prepared container, retaining only the edible portions—not every bamboo stalk yields jelly.
After collection, the jelly is rinsed and any attached fibers or wood fragments are removed. It can be eaten fresh or used in cooking. One popular preparation is a spicy salad of feang (bamboo jelly), mixing the jelly with seasonings such as chilli, garlic, salt, and local flavourings, sometimes adding cooked fish for extra taste and aroma. This dish is made only once a year.
