
Edible bamboo shoots.

Shoots at bamboo bush
'Bamboo shoots' (
Chinese simplified: ; traditional: ;
pinyin: ''zhú sǔn'' or simply ''sǔn''), are the edible
shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of
bamboo species
Bambusa vulgaris and
Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous
Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, both fresh and canned version. Bamboo shoot tips are called ''zhú sǔn jiān'' () or simply ''sǔn jiān'' ().
In
Indonesia they are sliced thinly and then boiled with ''santan'' (thick
coconut milk) and spices to make a dish named ''
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). Note that the shoots of some species contain
cyanide that need to be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely.

Steamed ''Ryoku-chiku'' shoots
In certain parts of Japan, China and Taiwan the giant timber bamboo ''Ryoku-chiku'' (''
Bambusa oldhamii'') is harvested in spring or early summer, after slicing and boiling is also edible. This bamboo has a very acrid flavor and should be sliced thin and boiled in a large volume of water several times. ''Oldhamii'' is more widely know as a non-invasive landscaping bamboo.
Pickled bamboo, used as a
condiment, may also be made from the
pith of the young shoots.
In
Assam, it is referred to as 'gaz' and is part of the traditional cuisine of Assam.
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Nutrition facts