Bamboo shoot

For the band, see Bamboo Shoots.

Bamboo shoot
Edible bamboo shoots
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	竹筍
Simplified Chinese	竹笋
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin zhú sǔn Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping zuk1 seon2
Korean name
Hangul	죽순, 대나무싹
Transcriptions - Revised Romanization juk sun, daenamu ssak
Japanese name
Kanji	竹の子 or 筍
Kana	タケノコ
Transcriptions - Romanization takenoko
Nepali name
Nepali	तामा (Tama)

Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes, and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions.

Harvested species

Shoots of several species of bamboo are harvested for consumption:

• Phyllostachys edulis (孟宗竹, 江南竹) produces very large shoots up to 2.5 kilos. The shoots of this species are called different names depending on when they are harvested.
  • Winter shoots (冬筍, 鞭筍) are smaller in size, up to 1 kg in weigh per harvested shoot. The flesh is tender and palatable and commercially quite important; they are harvested in November and December in Taiwan.
  • "Hairy" shoots (毛竹筍) are larger in size, but due to their toughness and bitter taste, they are generally used to make dried bamboo shoots. They are harvested between March and May in Taiwan.
• Phyllostachys bambusoides (桂竹) produces shoots that are slender and long with firm flesh. Commonly consumed fresh, they are also made into dried bamboo shoots.
• Dendrocalamus latiflorus (麻竹) produces shoots that are large with flesh that is fibrous and hard. As such, they are suitable mainly for canning and drying.
• Bambusa oldhamii (綠竹) produces valuable shoots that are large with tender and fragrant flesh. They are usually sold fresh and in season between late spring and early fall. Their availability depends on local climate. These shoot are also available in cans when not in season.
• Bambusa odashimae (烏腳綠竹) is considered similar to B. oldhamii, but highly prized due to its crisp flesh similar to Asian pears. It is produced mainly in Taitung and Hualien and consumed fresh.

Local names

Bamboo shoot tips are called zhú sǔn jiān (竹笋尖) or simply sǔn jiān (笋尖) in Chinese, although they are mostly referred to as just sǔn (笋). This sounds similar in Korean juk sun (죽순), a commonly used form, although the native word daenamu ssak (대나무싹) is present. In Vietnamese, bamboo shoots are called măng and in Japanese as take no ko (竹の子 or 筍). In Assam, they are referred to as gaz and in Nepal as tama (Nepali: तामा). In western orissa region of India, people call it kardi and it is the most famous dish there. In Jharkhand, they are known as sandhna. In Indonesian and Malay, they are known as rebung. In the Philippines, they are most popularly known as labong or tambo. In Mizoram (India), locals name it as mautuai (mau means bamboo and tuai implies young). In Tripura it is known as "Muya" in kokborok and "Baaser Korool" in Bengali. Bamboo shoots are eaten in Goa during the monsoon season and are commonly known as kill (Konkani:किल्ल)

Regional uses

In Indonesia, they are sliced thinly to be boiled with coconut milk and spices to make gulai rebung. Other recipes using bamboo shoots are sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and lun pia (sometimes written lumpia: fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables). The shoots of some species contain cyanide that must be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely. Slicing the bamboo shoots thinly assists in this leaching.

Steamed ryoku-chiku (Bambusa oldhamii) shoots

"Hosaki-Menma"

In certain parts of Japan, China and Taiwan, the giant timber bamboo Bambusa oldhamii is harvested in spring or early summer. The bamboo has a very acrid flavor and should be sliced thin and boiled in a large volume of water several times. The sliced bamboo is edible after boiling. B. oldhamii is more widely known as a noninvasive landscaping bamboo.

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

In Assam, India, bamboo shoots are part of the traditional cuisine. It is called khorisa and bah gaj in Assamese.

In the Diyun region of Arunachal Pradesh, the Chakma people call it bashchuri. The fermented version is called medukkeye, which is often served fried with pork. The bamboo shoots can also be fermented and stored with vinegar.

In Jharkhand, India, they are used in curries, and commonly used as a pickle.

In Nagaland (India), bamboo shoot is both cooked and eaten as a fresh food item and fermented for a variety of culinary uses. Fermented bamboo shoot is commonly known as bas tinga. Cooking pork with a generous portion of fermented bamboo shoot is very popular in Naga cuisine.

In Manipur (India), it is known as u-soi. It is also fermented and preserved which is called soibum. It is used in a wide variety of dishes – among which are iromba, ooti and kangshu ar eto.

In Western Orissa or the Kosal region of India, it is a common ingredient. Since this region is dominated by the tribal population, bamboo shoots (kardi), is believed to have been in use for hundred of years. In this region, kardi achar (pickled bamboo shoots) and kardi baja (fried bamboo shoot strands) are also popular. Fresh kardi is best eaten as kardi bhaja. It is kept in bottles for use at later stages. Dried kardi. also called hendua, is also eaten in western Orissa. Itis best eaten with roasted or fried tomatoes.

In Nepal, they are used in dishes which have been well known in Nepal for centuries. A popular dish is tama (fermented), with आलु (potato) and बोडी (beans). An old popular song in Nepali depicts tama as "आलु बोडी तरकारी तामालाई मन पर्ने हाम्रो आमा लाइ", which means, "my mother loves vegetable of recipe containing potato, beans, and tama".

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, they are called labong. The two most popular dishes for this are ginataang labong (shoots with coconut milk and chilies) and dinengdeng na labong (shoots in fish bagoong with string beans, saluyot, and tinapa). Bamboo shoots are also pickled in the same manner as the papaya dish, atchara.

The bamboo shoots are used as a special dish during the monsoons (due to seasonal availability) in Coorg (Kodagu) district, Karnataka, India. It is commonly known as kanile in the local language. It is usually sliced and soaked in water for two to three days, where the water is drained and replenished with fresh water each day to extricate and remove toxins. It is also used as pickle. It is used as a delicacy by all communities in Coorg.

In Uganda, bamboo shoots are called maleya or kamaleya among the Lumasaba tribe along Mt Elgon region in Uganda. Generally, they are called malewa by the rest of Ugandans. Since it is a seasonal crop, it is harvested once a year and preserved by smoking, then cooked by soaking. It is then washed, sliced and then boiled. It is eaten in ground nut sauce.

Gallery

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  Whole bamboo shoots after being harvested

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  Shoots of bamboo, emerging from the ground

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  Bamboo shoot, already too old to be eaten

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  Bamboo shoots for sale in a supermarket in Japan

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  Growth in Taiwan regional low elevation flat land thorn bamboo shoots.

See also

• Takenoko-zoku
• Umami