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 as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions.
Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, natural toxins also contained in cassava. The toxins must be destroyed by thorough cooking, and for this reason, fresh bamboo shoots are boiled before being used in other ways. The toxins are also destroyed in the canning process.
Harvested species
Most young bamboo shoots are edible after being boiled to remove toxins, but only around a hundred or so species are harvested regularly for edible shoots. These are usually from species that are also cultivated for other uses. These include: Acidosasa – native to South China and Vietnam Acidosasa edulis – endemic to the provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, China. Acidosasa chinensis – endemic to Guangdong, China Bambusa – the most commonly harvested bamboo in tropical and subtropical Asia, occurring from the Philippines to India, and from Sumatra to southern China. Bambusa balcooa – native to the Indian subcontinent to Mainland Southeast Asia Bambusa bambos – native to South Asia Bambusa beecheyana – native to South China to Mainland Southeast Asia and Taiwan Bambusa blumeana – native to Island Southeast Asia Bambusa gibboides – native to Guangdong, China Bambusa merrilliana – endemic to the Philippines Bambusa odashimae – endemic to Taiwan Bambusa oldhamii – native to Taiwan and South China Bambusa polymorpha – native to Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Bambusa philippinensis – endemic to the Philippines Bambusa tulda – native to the Himalayas region, Yunnan, and northern Mainland Southeast Asia Bambusa tuldoides – native to Guangdong, Guangxi, and northern Mainland Southeast Asia Bambusa vulgaris – native to Mainland Southeast Asia and Yunnan, China Chimonobambusa – native to the Himalayas, Mainland Southeast Asia, China, and Japan Dendrocalamus – native to tropical South Asia, Southeast Asia, and South China Dendrocalamus asper – native to Southeast Asia Dendrocalamus latiflorus – native to South China and Taiwan Dendrocalamus membranaceus – native to tropical Southeast Asia Dendrocalamus strictus – native to tropical Southeast Asia and India Gigantochloa – native to tropical Asia Gigantochloa atter – native to Island Southeast Asia Gigantochloa levis – native to Island Southeast Asia Phyllostachys – native from the Himalayas to East Asia Phyllostachys edulis – native to South China and Taiwan Phyllostachys bambusoides – native to China, Taiwan, and Japan Phyllostachys rivalis – endemic to China Phyllostachys vivax – endemic to China Sasa – native to Korea, Japan, and eastern Russia (Sakhalin) Sasa kurilensis – native to Korea, Japan, and eastern Russia (Sakhalin)
Freshly collected bamboo shoots are a good source of thiamine, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. 17 different amino acids have been reported, 8 of them essential for humans. The amount of amino acids in canned and fermented shoots is lower than when freshly prepared.
Uses
Culinary
East Asia
In certain parts of Japan, China, and Taiwan, shoots from the giant timber bamboo Bambusa oldhamii are harvested in spring or early summer. Young shoots from this species are highly sought-after due to their crisp texture and sweet taste. Older shoots, however, have an 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 Japan, menma is a common topping for ramen noodle soup. In China, luosifen river snail noodles, a popular dish from Guangxi, get their famously pungent smell from pickled bamboo shoots.