Can thin bamboo shoots be eaten? How to tell if bamboo shoots are ripe?

Bamboo shoots are native to my country and are a staple of Jiangnan cuisine. There was a saying in China that "one cannot live without bamboo and cannot eat without bamboo shoots." All bamboos produce bamboo shoots, but not all bamboo shoots can be considered culinary products. Today, I will share with you a little trick to identify bamboo shoots, that is, how to judge whether the bamboo shoots are ripe by looking at the darker color, softer feel, and sweeter taste of the bamboo shoots.

Contents of this article

1. Can thin bamboo shoots be eaten?

2. How to judge whether bamboo shoots are ripe

3. How to remove the bitterness of bamboo shoots quickly

Can thin bamboo shoots be eaten?

Thin bamboo shoots are edible. They are rich in vitamins, can reduce the absorption of fat by the gastric mucosa, promote gastrointestinal motility, and are low in calories. However, it is recommended to eat them in moderation, otherwise they may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Although thin bamboo shoots are rich in nutrients, they contain more oxalic acid. Too much oxalic acid may affect the body's absorption of calcium, so it is not recommended to eat too much thin bamboo shoots at one time.

In addition, bamboo shoots are high in potassium, so people with high potassium levels are advised to consume them with caution.

How to judge whether bamboo shoots are ripe

First, look at the color. The color of the bamboo shoots will become darker when they are cooked. Then look at the texture. The texture of raw bamboo shoots is hard, while the texture of cooked bamboo shoots is soft and can be broken with chopsticks and easily poked into. Raw bamboo shoots have a bitter and numb taste, but they become crisp, refreshing and sweet when cooked.

Eating uncooked bamboo shoots may have an adverse effect on your health. You can tell that the bamboo shoots are ripe when their color becomes darker, they feel softer, and they taste sweeter.

Before cooking bamboo shoots, they are usually blanched first to remove the oxalic acid in the bamboo shoots, making them more delicious.

The colors of raw bamboo shoots are green-yellow, blue-green, and beige, while the color of cooked bamboo shoots becomes darker. They can be easily cut with a spatula or the middle part can be easily pierced with chopsticks.

How to remove the bitterness of bamboo shoots quickly

Generally, the bitter taste of bamboo shoots can be removed by blanching them. Wash the bamboo shoots and boil them in a pot for about 30 minutes, then take them out and rinse them in cold water to cool them down. Finally, slice the bamboo shoots and soak them in clean water for about 1-2 hours, and the bitter taste of the bamboo shoots will disappear.

Bamboo shoots are native to my country and are the ingredient of Jiangnan cuisine. There was once a saying in China that “one can’t live without bamboo and one can’t eat without bamboo shoots.”

All bamboos produce shoots, but not all shoots can be used as culinary products.

Vegetable bamboo shoots mainly include individual species of the genera Phyllostachys, Phyllostachys, Phyllostachys and Pleistocene, which have tender texture, no bitterness or other bad taste, or slightly bitter taste, and can be edible after processing to remove the bitterness.