Bamboo leaves - From a pile of worthless wild leaves into a million-dollar fortune/ 竹葉 - 從一堆毫無價值的野葉到百萬美元的財富

Bamboo is a highly recognizable plant in Vietnam, and it is strongly connected with daily life due to its multiple applications. However, most people are only familiar with the benefits of bamboo with some specific aspects, such as bamboo in building, fuel, preparations,... or young bamboo for food. Despite the abundance of bamboo leaves, people used to select only a limited number of fresh bamboo leaves to dry for tea, discarding the rest. Although it is almost useless in the opinion of many Vietnamese people. However, it has earned a lot of attention in the global market. The leaves are sold at high prices and generate millions of dollars.

According to General Department of Vietnam Customs data, bamboo leaves are the only export commodity with positive development to global markets in the export of leaves. Within 11 months, exports of bamboo leaves exceeded $2 million USD, an increase of roughly 1% over the previous time. The result of 1% is not huge, but it is incredibly important when compared to the era when the Covid 19 outbreak is still problematic.

According to Mr. Tran Van Hai, a bamboo leaf merchant in Vietnam, bamboo leaves are mostly transported to Japan and India. Despite the fact that the pandemic has been complex for 1-2 years, the residents here still have a strong demand for bamboo leaves. The purchasing price did not fall, but rather rose owing to greater demand. The bamboo leaves obtained are octagonal bamboo, which grows naturally in highland places.

The leaves on this bamboo are bigger than those on other types of bamboo. Fresh bamboo leaves are purchased and cured for about two days before being clamped onto a bamboo stick. The leaves are then washed and dried in the oven. These leaves are exported using natural ways and without the use of pesticides. Because of their distinct and delectable aroma, people use them to package food and pastries. This leaf is easy to peel and does not spoil rapidly when used to wrap the cake.

Autumn is the greatest time of year to gather bamboo leaves. The acquired bamboo leaves must be of high quality; they must be big, not damaged, and still green, not yellow. Each of these bamboo leaves is about 40cm long and 8cm broad or larger. The greater the selling price, the bigger, longer, and more gorgeous the leaves.

Because of their high economic value, many areas, particularly in Vietnam's rural, have lately begun to join the trend of planting octagonal bamboo to gather leaves instead of typical small-leaf bamboo.

Tieng Trung

竹葉 - 從一堆毫無價值的野葉到百萬美元的財富

竹子在越南是一種極具辨識度的植物，因其用途廣泛而與日常生活息息相關。 然而，大多數人只熟悉竹子在某些特定方面的好處，例如竹子在建築、燃料、準備……或用於食物的竹子。 儘管竹葉豐富，但人們過去只選擇有限數量的新鮮竹葉曬乾泡茶，其餘的則丟棄。 雖然在很多越南人看來幾乎沒什麼用。 然而，它在全球市場上贏得了很多關注。 葉子以高價出售並產生數百萬美元。

根據越南海關總署的數據，竹葉是唯一在全球市場上取得積極發展的竹葉出口商品。 在 11 個月內，竹葉出口額超過 200 萬美元，比上次增長約 1%。 1% 的結果並不大，但與 Covid 19 爆發仍然存在問題的時代相比，它非常重要。

據越南竹葉商Tran先生介紹，竹葉主要運往日本和印度。 儘管疫情複雜了1-2年，但這裡的居民對竹葉的需求依然旺盛。 由於需求增加，採購價格沒有下降，反而上漲。 得到的竹葉為八角竹，自然生長在高原地區。

這種竹子上的葉子比其他類型的竹子上的葉子大。 購買新鮮竹葉並醃製約兩天，然後將其夾在竹籤上。 然後將葉子清洗並在烤箱中乾燥。 這些樹葉以自然方式出口，不使用殺蟲劑。 由於其獨特而令人愉悅的香氣，人們用它們來包裝食品和糕點。 這片葉子很容易剝，用來包蛋糕時不會很快變質。

秋天是一年中收集竹葉的最佳時節。 收購的竹葉必須是優質的； 它們必須很大，沒有損壞，並且仍然是綠色的，而不是黃色的。 每片竹葉長約 40 厘米，寬約 8 厘米或更大。 售價越高，葉子越大、越長、越艷麗。

由於其高經濟價值，許多地區，特別是越南農村，最近開始加入種植八角竹以收集葉子的趨勢，而不是典型的小葉竹。