Bamboo shoots are one of the glories of Taiwanese food and it is now peak season for two of the most popular varieties. Green bamboo shoots (綠竹筍) and ma bamboo shoots (麻竹筍) are currently on sale in all traditional markets and are ideal for a host of simple dishes ranging from cold plates to stir fries. The names are loosely used, following the Chinese, rather than trying to make a definitive call on scientific nomenclature, which is too confusing to bother about when you have lunch to prepare.
Green bamboo shoots are the queen of the culinary establishment, highly sought for their dense, crisp texture, while ma bamboo shoots have a reputation for being a little coarse and having a less exulted flavor. My own experience is that green bamboo shoots, while they are capable of great excellence, are so prized that it is easy to end up with lower quality products, while carefully cultivated ma bamboo shoots can be as delicious and generally sell for as little as half the price of their more famous relative.
This is illustrative of an insight I have had since moving to the agricultural heartland of Hualien: that careful cultivation of even inferior cultivars trumps big name varieties that have been hurriedly rushed to market to fetch a premium price. This observation has been very much borne out with a variety of experiments I have tried with these two varieties of bamboo shoots.
Photo: Ian Bartholomew
The leaves of the ma bamboo are prized for use as food wrapping for zongzi (粽子), the usually triangular rice dumpling that is the traditional specialty of the Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) and is a popular choice for a quick meal all year round. The shoots themselves are often quite large, their rugged appearance, even when the tough outer skin has been removed, not readily suggesting something that might be good to eat. While the shoots of the ma bamboo are straight and conical, rather like miniature traffic cones, the green bamboo is notable for its marked curvature, resembling bulls horns. Their flesh is whiter and on first appearance have a softer, creamier texture that looks more appealing.
Green bamboo shoots are the variety favored for the making of cold boiled bamboo, usually garnished with Japanese-style mayonnaise. This is a classic dish of Taiwanese cuisine and showcases the delicate flavor of the bamboo shoots, but can sometimes be disappointing, as everything depends on the quality of the product.
Like all bamboo shoots, the green variety can be bitter, often the result of exposure to too much sun during growth. Like asparagus, bamboo shoots must be carefully covered at each stage of growth with additions of earth and fertilizer. Shoots that have seen too much sun often have hints of green on their skin, and these should be avoided. Some people are inclined to write off ma bamboo shoots as bitter by nature and inferior for the dinner table, but I have found that they can be a match for even the best green shoots in flavor. In regard to texture, they are definitely courser, but not necessarily unpleasantly so. The final judgment will always come down to individual taste.
SELECTING YOUR SHOOTS
When selecting bamboo shoots, look at the tips and ensure they are golden with no hint of green. Look at the base, which should be white, indicating a recent harvest. The bitterness of bamboo shoots may come from the presence of cyanogenic glycosides, a natural toxin present in other vegetables such as cassava, which must first be broken down by cooking before the bamboo shoot is edible. Storage, even for just a few days, also seems to enhance the bitter flavor of the bamboo shoot, and while their appearance remains unchanged, they become bitter and acrid tasting even after cooking. Preparing bamboo shoots on the same day that they harvested is recommended. Once cooked, the bamboo shoot can be kept overnight in the refrigerator without any change in flavor. Blanching bamboo shoots before frying is also recommended, just to ensure that all toxins are removed.
Bamboo shoots have the preeminent appeal in this diet-mad world of being exceedingly low in calories and sugar, while containing considerable nutritional value and high levels of good fiber. They are a valuable source of many vitamins and minerals, are a great aid to dietary weight loss programs, with benefits for cardiac health, cancer prevention and strengthening of the immune system.
Bamboo shoots are available all year round in canned or packaged form, but these provide quite a different gastronomic experience to the crispness of fresh bamboo shoots. Some types of pickled shoots can be quite acceptable as a garnish, but for the most part I steer clear of bamboo shoots when they are not in season.
Cold Boiled Bamboo Shoots with Aioli & Pork Rib and Bamboo Shoot Soup
Recipe
(Serves 4 as a side dish)
This is a two-dish-in-one combo that is ideal for a couple of family meals, getting one side dish and one light main dish out of a single pot. The ribs provide flavor for the cold shoots, and the bamboo shoots sweeten the soup. I must confess to abominating commercial mayonnaise, the usual accompaniment to cold shoots, and a briskly whisked up aioli (which is just a fancy name for garlic mayo) does wonders for the enjoyment of the dish. The addition of rice is said to help bring out the sweetness of the bamboo shoots and will simply disappear into the soup.
Ingredients:
For the bamboo:
1 medium sized bamboo shoot (Ma or green, approx 500g)
2 pounds pork neck, chopped
1 nub ginger, thinly sliced
1 handful of white rice
For the aioli:
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sunflower or other neutral oil
2 tbsp fruity olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Pinch coarse sea salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
splash fresh lemon juice
pinch of pepper
a few leaves of sweet basil
Directions:
1. Wash the pork neck thoroughly under cold water. Many sources recommend blanching the meat, but if fresh, I find a good wash is much better.
2. If the seller has already peeled off most of the outer husk from the bamboo shoot, just clean off any fibrous bits that might be remaining, and take a thin slice off the base, which will have started to dry out as soon as the shoot was harvested.
3. Cut the base into large cubes and the top of the cone into wheels.
4. Place the pork, bamboo, rice and ginger into a large stock pot and add enough water to barely cover the contents.
5. Over medium heat, bring the pot to a a vigorous simmer.
6. Skim off any scum that has risen to the surface with a ladle then turn the heat down to low and cover. Cook for about 45 minutes.
7. Remove half of the bamboo shoots. The soup can continue to cook in the covered pot for another 45 minutes.
8. Rinse the bamboo shoots under cold water and allow to cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
9. Using a pestle and mortar, mash the garlic and sea salt into a paste.
10. Using an electric whisk, lightly beat the egg yolks. Add the neutral oil in a slow drizzle while whisking briskly until the yolks and oil begin to come together.
11. Add the garlic paste, lemon juice, mustard and continue to whisk. Then add the olive oil in a drizzle. Fine tune the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice as required. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to come together and the garlic to mellow.
12. To serve, spoon the aioli over the chilled bamboo and garnish with basil leaves.
13. Once cooked, the soup should be allowed to sit for a couple of hours to cool. Reheat over medium heat when ready to eat.
Ian Bartholomew runs Ian’s Table, a small guesthouse in Hualien. He has lived in Taiwan for many years writing about the food scene and has decided that until you look at farming, you know nothing about the food you eat. He can be contacted at Hualien202@gmail.com.
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