Cookbook:Bamboo Shoot

Bamboo shoots are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of the bamboo species Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis.



Characteristics
They have a very mild flavor and crisp texture. The whole shoots are conical with a tough outside.

The shoots of some species contain cyanide that need to be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely. Slicing the bamboo shoots thinly assists in this leaching.

Selection and storage
They are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, both fresh and canned versions. Fresh shoots should feel solid and not soft, with a fresh odor. These should be kept in the fridge.

Preparation
If working with fresh bamboo shoots, the tough outside peels and leaves should first be removed to expose the core. They are then cut into pieces and boiled until tender—this is necessary to help remove cyanide compounds. If they are still bitter after boiling, they can be soaked in several changes of water until no longer bitter.

Canned shoots are already cooked and just need to be rinsed before using.

Use
In Indonesia, bamboo shoots are thinly sliced then boiled with coconut milk and spices to make a dish named gulai rebung. Other recipes using bamboo shoots include sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and lun pia (fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables).

In India, bamboo shoots are part of the traditional cuisine and used in a wide variety of dishes. These include iromba, ooti, and kangshu ar eto.

In Nepal, the shoots are used in traditional dishes known in Nepal for centuries. A popular dish is aloo tama (fermented bamboo shoots with potato and beans).

In Vietnamese cuisine, shredded bamboo shoots are used alone or with other vegetable in many stir-fried vegetable dishes. It may also be used as the sole vegetable ingredient in pork chop soup.

In Philippine cuisine, bamboo shoots are called labong. Two of the most popular dishes featuring bamboo shoots are ginataang labong (labong with coconut milk and chilies) and dinengdeng na labong (labong in fish bagoong with string beans, saluyot, and tinapa).

Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the pith of the young shoots.