Seasons/Availability
Fresh bamboo shoots are available throughout the year with occasional gaps. Check for availability.
Current Facts
Today bamboo is earning a new place in the spectrum of foods, plants and fibers to improve the quality of life for people around the world.
Description/Taste
Considered almost magical and referred to as the "miracle grass", bamboo shoots vary from three-fourths of an inch to seven inches wide. These amazing and very tasty exotic edible shoots can grow more than twelve inches in just one day. Producing several overlapping layers, the outer layers are quite tough and must be peeled away before cooking. The extremely tender interior ivory part of the bamboo shoot is the culinary treasure. Eaten fresh, the opaque pale yellow shoots offer a tantalizing sweet flavor with a wonderfully crisp texture. Because Chinese restaurants are especially a favorite place to dine in the United States, Americans have acquired almost an addiction to this deliciously crunchy vegetable.
Nutritional Value
Nutritious bamboo shoots are fiber-filled and have practically no fat. Just 25 calories per cup, they provide vitamin B6, carbohydrates, protein and some zinc. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends bamboo shoots to tone the large intestine, lungs, and stomach. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
To prepare bamboo shoots, the outer shell must be removed. Boil, stew or simmer the edible fleshy inner part for about fifteen minutes or until desired tenderness is reached. A few tablespoons of rice bran or rice added to the water helps absorb any bitterness. Cool the shoots in cold water. Delicious chilled in salads, these delectable shoots are a perfect addition to cooked mixed vegetables and stir-fries. Add to soups and stews. Their super crunch and delicate flavor blends well with fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. Pair with chopped green peppers. Sauté or braise in sukiyaki for a unique side dish. To store, wrap in plastic; refrigerate. Use promptly for optimum quality.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Called by many as the plant of a thousand uses, the bamboo shoot is a dietary staple in Asia, plus a tradition. Beautiful handcrafted items have been made from bamboo since antiquity.
Geography/History
Native to Asia, bamboo's natural habitat includes every continent except the Antarctica and Europe. It is thought that possibly Stone Age Asians may have used bamboo for making tools and not just stone. Bamboo forests still exist in Southeast Asia. In South America, researchers found imprints of bamboo canes in early dwellings of ancient communities. Worldwide, versatile bamboo has been valuable for centuries. Growing in most soil types, bamboo plants do not like desert life nor do they like to be in a pond. They do, however, like to be around water, preferring the edge of a pond but not actually submerged. There are over twelve hundred varieties or species of bamboo flourishing around the globe. Thorough records have been documented in Japan and China on many bamboo species; however, many varieties have been grouped and classified according to their growth habits and structure. In the United States, bamboo grows in southern Florida, coastal California, the Gulf States and Hawaii.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Bamboo Shoots Fresh. One
is easiest, three is harder.
