Sacred Word from Masaaki-sama The season for bamboo shoots has arrived. I want children to eat plenty of this. Just as bamboo grows vigorously, we’d like the same for our children too. However, in Eastern Medicine, bamboo shoots are considered an extremely yin (cooling in nature) food. It is said that bamboo shoots have an adverse effect on people with cancer and especially those with respiratory issues, and that people prone to atopic conditions should avoid them. Bamboo shoots may seem plain enough, but considering the sheer force and energy with which they grow, the power they contain must be extraordinary. That power is said to be concentrated especially in the tender shoot tip, so I want people who are in poor health condition, who don’t have energy or the like, to avoid ingesting bamboo shoots. Just from the fact that bitter compounds have to be removed from it, we can surmise that a mystery power is there. Although science that originated in the West is amazing, I think we should be thinking about the Eastern perspective based on the foundation of many years of accumulated knowledge in China, Japan, etc. Or rather, I believe it is the approach that naturally suits the Japanese people. Conclusion: give a lot to children, give a small amount to adults, and those in poor health should refrain. Now speaking of bamboo shoots, a must-try recipe is a simmered dish called “wakatakeni” that pairs bamboo shoots and wakame seaweed. This time, we were blessed to receive bamboo shoots from a member (thank you so much), so since we already presented wakatakeni before, that is how we came to present to you our home’s vegan bamboo shoot patties this time. Regarding these bamboo shoot patties, please allow me to speak about it a little bit. These patties are a combination of the following four things: Shumai with shinachiku (fermented bamboo shoots) in the fillingThe funky seaweed smell of mekabu [the thick base of wakame seaweed with viscous texture] (not exactly mouth-watering…?)BreadA smooth, creamy texture Forgive me for the poor analogy. It’s just that there’s this breadiness to it that I can’t quite explain. Regardless, the base is the sweetness from the bamboo shoots. Although there is the sweetness from the coarsely chopped, crunchy ones, it is the grated shoots that give full-bodied sweetness to the dish.Plus there’s onion in it, so it’s quite sweet. How is it that onions (especially sautéed ones) can be that abnormally sweet? I’m always talking about how we don’t eat any kinds of added sugars, that refined sugar is addictive and acts like a drug, but will the addiction to the sweetness of onions be allowed? Please allow it! Because I’ll do anything for that sweetness . . . ! Uh . . . I . . . I apologize . . . the withdrawal symptoms from my onion addiction are kicking in . . . The sweetness of onions will save the earth. I stand by that. I apologize for going on a complete tangent. It was rude to the bamboo shoots too. This recipe—with a likeness to sweet bread, shumai with fermented bamboo shoots, and the taste of seaweed, sweet, smooth and creamy—is one I want you to try in this season. I am confident that, for all of you, these bamboo shoot patties, which seem like they should have existed already, will have a deliciousness you have not yet tried before, a door to undiscovered tastes. Long live Christian veganism! ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Masaaki-sama’s many original and humor-filled expressions made me laugh out loud! Every single word Masaaki-sama spoke thoroughly conveys the charm of Mami-okusama’s supreme vegan bamboo shoot patties, and his love for food and inquisitive mind boldly come across his words. The proper way to consume ingredients that suit Japanese people. Regarding how to eat bamboo shoots, which contain powerful energy, we received concrete sacred guidance from Masaaki-sama. The characteristics of ingredients we would never have been able to know on our own. Masaaki-sama’s deep compassion for us Church members shines through as he guides us toward the right approach to food according to each person’s physical condition and age. Masaaki-sama, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Along with words of gratitude to the Church member who offered the bamboo shoots, Mami-okusama sent us this precious recipe. The novel combination of bamboo shoots and mekabu. According to Mami-okusama, this recipe was perfected after receiving advice from Masaaki-sama that it is better not to cut the bamboo shoots too finely, in order to let their presence be felt. Fragrant on the outside, a soft chew on the inside with an irresistible crunchy texture—this is truly an exquisite recipe where you can savor the bounty of spring. Let us all go through the door to undiscovered tastes that Masaaki-sama speaks of! The crunchy texture of spring!Likes, saves, shares and reposts are most welcome! ✨ 👇 Mami-okusama’s original supreme vegan bamboo shoot patty recipe 👇 Ingredients (Makes about 17 patties, weighing 40g each)Patty mixture:• Bamboo shoot (bitterness removed) … 200gHalf grated + half coarsely chopped (5-10mm)※ For bitterness removal method, refer to last year’s post “Japan’s Vegan Kimono Beauty – Mami-okusama – Wakatakeni” [published on Facebook, May 8, 2025: https://www.facebook.com/WorldChurchofMessiah/posts/1146720384162938]• New onions (young, mild spring onions) … 1 (minced)• Cooked rice … 300g (warm, lightly mashed – 30 percent polished rice used this time)• Dried mekabu … 6g (rehydrate, blanch briefly and chop)• Kudzu powder … 4 tablespoons• Soy sauce … 2 teaspoons• Miso … 2 teaspoons• Sesame oil … as needed• Salt … as needed Instructions① Prepare the mekabu• Soak mekabu in water for about 10 minutes to rehydrate.• Rinse lightly, drain, and blanch in boiling water for about 10 seconds.• Drain again and chop. ② Sauté the ingredients• Heat a clay pot and add 2 teaspoons sesame oil.• Add the onions, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes.• Add the coarsely chopped bamboo shoots, sprinkle with another pinch of salt, and sauté.• When everything develops a lightly toasted fragrance and color, transfer to a separate container and cool thoroughly. ③ Make the patty• In a bowl, add the warm rice (lightly mashed), sautéed ingredients, grated bamboo shoots, mekabu (rehydrated, briefly blanched, and chopped), kudzu powder, miso, soy sauce, and 2/3 teaspoon salt.• Mix thoroughly until uniform.※ If too loose, add a bit more kudzu powder; if too firm, add a small amount of water to adjust consistency. ④ Shape• Lightly wet your hands and shape into desired size.• Lightly work to remove air pockets as you shape. ⑤ Pan-fry• Heat a frying pan (cast iron if available), add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and place patties to cook. ※ Don’t overcrowd—cook in two or more batches.• Cook over low heat for 2–3 minutes. ※ The key is to leave them undisturbed during this time.• When nicely browned, flip patties, cover, and cook over low heat for another 3–4 minutes.• Remove the lid, cook briefly over medium heat to evaporate moisture.• When both sides are nicely browned, done! ***About Mami-okusama (Mami Okada)Mami-okusama was born in Aichi Prefecture and was raised in a farming household. Also known as Japan’s Vegan Beauty, she is the wife of and Aide to Masaaki-sama (Masaaki Okada), World Church of Messiah’s Representative of Kyoshu. She is a vegan recipe developer focusing on the Japanese vegan diet. She is the first to establish the “vegan deco ben” (vegan decorative bento) and “vegan kyara ben” (vegan character bento) genres. Not only are they beautiful to the eye, these bento are created entirely from plant-based ingredients, in line with what Masaaki-sama teaches on the truth of food, that seasonal and local eating rooted in the climate and terrain of Japan is the most beneficial for health and well-being, that is, to eat what grows in one’s local region. Through these and also through the creation of her many original recipes, she seeks to spread the Christian vegan diet—the true healthy diet. She graduated from University of Tsukuba. During her studies there, she became actively involved in volunteer activities such as refugee support. She was also repeatedly asked to participate in the Miss Tsukuba Contest and was approached by many modeling agencies, but she declined all of these offers as she wanted to focus on refugee support activities. In recognition of her efforts in refugee support, she received the University of Tsukuba President’s Award in 2012. She holds a license to teach English to intermediate and high school students. After graduating from university, she began working for World Church of Messiah in 2013. In 2014, she married Masaaki-sama, the great-grandson of the founder of World Church of Messiah, Meishu-sama (Mokichi Okada 1882–1955), and the representative and successor of Kyoshu-sama. On May 24, 2026, on the day of Pentecost, she assumed the position of Aide to the Representative of Kyoshu. Currently, while raising three children, she is working tirelessly unlike anyone else in the practice and spread of the Christian vegan diet as taught in Masaaki-sama’s revolutionary message: “Jesus Christ was the last and ultimate sacrifice—so it is no longer necessary to eat a diet that comes with the suffering of animals.”