Growing Bamboo Shoots for Eating

There are 1,200 varieties of bamboo.

Bamboo shoots, long a part of Asian cooking, are appearing in Western markets and on the dinner table. Bamboo is a fast growing member of the grass family. With over 1,200 species of bamboo, there are varieties that flourish in humid, tropical environments and others that can withstand snowy, frozen winters. Delicious when cooked, bamboo shoots are bitter and difficult to digest raw. Add boiled bamboo shoots to stir fires or as a side dish with meats, the delicate flavor is a versatile addition to the kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Knife

Instructions

1. Select the planting site. Bamboo needs an area that gets full sun to partial shade and has well-draining soil. Rocky soil is tolerable but standing water will kill the root systems. Alternately, fill a pot with good quality potting soil for your bamboo clumps.

2. Dig out a planting hole slightly larger than the nursery pot. Slide the pot from the bamboo root ball and place it in the hole. Fill in the soil around the bamboo and water the area until it is completely damp.

3. Water daily after transplanting bamboo. Apply one 5-gallon bucket for each clump of bamboo. After the first five to seven days of heavy watering, reduce watering to every other or every third day. If the leaves begin to curl, the roots need more water.

4. Harvest the young shoots in the spring. New shoots emerge from the underground root system. Cut the young shoots when they are about 6 inches tall. Use a sharp knife and make a horizontal cut about 1 inch from the soil line.

5. Peel the bamboo shoots and boil for 20 minutes before using. To store the shoots, put them in the refrigerator unpeeled and uncooked. They will keep for about two weeks before turning bitter.

Tips & Warnings

• There are two distinct groups of bamboo, the clumping variety and the running variety. Plant running bamboo in above ground containers or in an area where it cannot spread.

• All bamboo shoots are edible but some varieties are more bitter than others. Four varieties commonly produced commercially in Asia that have a good flavor are Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus latiflorus, Bambusa oldhamii, and Phyllostachys pubescens.

• The cold hardy yellow-grove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) is a good choice for northern gardens.

• Uncooked bamboo contains cyanogenic glycosides, a toxic compound found in some asian food crops. Cooking breaks down this compound and eliminates the toxin. Always boil bamboo shoots for 20 minutes before serving.

References

• Washington State University: Bamboo Shoots
• The American Bamboo Society: Introduction to Hardy Bamboos
• Australia New Zealand Food Standard: Cyanogenic Glycosides in Cassava and Bamboo Shoots