Bamboo Shoots
Every year, just as the first bamboo shoots start to appear in the market, my husband Ranjit, makes my favourite pork-based dish with it. He learned to cook it from his mother, for whom the trick was to balance the strong flavour of the shoots with the richness of the pork. Ranjit prepares it by carefully rinsing the fermented bamboo, adding mustard oil, and letting it simmer slowly
— Harshali Deka, Assam
What is it?
Bamboo is one of the most versatile and multi-purpose forest grasses. Mainly consumed in Southeast and East Asian countries, it also holds deep cultural and traditional significance among rural and tribal communities in Northeast India. India is the second-largest producer of bamboo shoots after China, yet their use as a source of food remains limited. This is largely due to limited awareness about their edibility. In addition, the strong smell and bitter, slightly acidic taste of bamboo shoots often discourage their wider acceptance as a common vegetable.
What other names does it have?
Botanical Name: Bambusa vulgaris
Regional Names: Bah gaj (Assamese), U-soi (Manipuri), Karadi (Odia), Bastenga (Naga), Bashchuri (Arunachali), Karil (Jharkhandi), Kalale (Kannada, Tulu)
When is it in season?
Where is it found?
Bamboo grows well in tropical and subtropical to mild, temperate climates, with the greatest diversity found in East and Southeast Asia, as well as the Indian and Pacific Ocean islands. It thrives at altitudes between 500 and 1500 metres, especially on moist hill slopes and flat uplands. The ideal soil for bamboo is well-drained sandy loam to clayey loam, which supports healthy growth. Source.
What is its history/cultural significance?
In India, the culinary use of bamboo is largely concentrated in the states of the Northeast, where it forms an essential part of traditional and regional dishes. While the Chinese have termed bamboo the “Friend of the People” and the Vietnamese refer to it as “My Brother,” in India, it is often known as “Green Gold” due to its cultural and economic significance. Source.
Bamboo shoots are typically consumed fresh during the harvest season, and in fermented, dried, or pickled forms during the rest of the year. Among various ethnic communities in Northeast India, both fresh and fermented bamboo shoots are considered a delicacy.
India also holds a prominent position globally, with 13.96 million hectares of bamboo forest, accounting for 17.4 percent of the country’s total forest cover.
How can you use it?
Fresh bamboo shoots are consumed in Manipur as Ushoi, prepared by thinly slicing the soft inner portion of the shoot. Other important bamboo-based traditional foods include Soibum, Rep, Mesu, Eup, Ekhung, and Hirring. To prepare bamboo shoots, first trim the base. Then, peel off the outer fibrous layers until the tender inner part is exposed. Lastly, the shoot should be simmered for 30 minutes to an hour to remove bitterness and toxins; the exact simmering time depends on the size of the shoot.
What states can I find it in?
What parts of the plant are edible?
Bamboo shoot
Is it nutritious?
Bamboo shoots are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibre, and minerals, and very low in fat. Source.
How do you store it?
Unpeeled bamboo shoots, with their husk intact, can be stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Once peeled, they should be kept submerged in water and will stay fresh for up to 10 days, as long as the water is changed daily.
Stories & recipes from The Locavore
Laiwa Kanghou Recipe
A Manpuri stir-fry made with fresh bamboo shoots, potatoes and a lot of patience.
A thousand kilometres from Gaya, I learned to love the taste of its baskarel by Priyanka Bhadani.
Priyanka Bhadani reveals her younger self’s loathing,and now fondness,for the distinct flavours of baskarel.
Pakodas or fritters from Bihar, made with bamboo shoots.
Other stories
What Are Wood Fibres? An Ingredient You Should Be Using by The Goya Journal
That article explains how traditional wood fibers—like bamboo, cane, and jute, have been used across various regions in India as sustainable, culturally rich ingredients in cooking
Other recipes
Eromba Recipe by Foodies Treasure
Mesu Pickle Recipe by Sayali
‘Know Your Desi Ingredients’ is an ever-expanding repository of knowledge for ingredients that are native to the Indian subcontinent and adapted into the mainstream culinary narratives of people, places, and cultures across India. If you would like to share more information about the write-ups featured here, send us an email at connect@thelocavore.in with your inputs and any verified sources we should look into.
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