Bamboo: my Soup, my Bowl, my Table, my Chair

When you’re not cooking with bamboo consider cooking in it or with it.

Many Asian cultures for example, use the empty hollow in the stalks of more sizable bamboo to cook food in. Soups can be boiled in the stalk and rice can be cooked within the hollow body. When cooking, the stalk is held directly over a flame. Tea is also sometimes brewed in stalks. Cooking in bamboo stalks gives the food a distinctive added taste—one that you might find yourself loving.

But bamboo practicality does not stop there. It’s is often used to make cooking utensils. You can cook and eat using bamboo tools. Also, bamboo leaves are often used as wrappers for steamed dumplings.

The sleek, modern and yet organic look of dark stalks of bamboo have made it a hot commodity for dining wear like napkin rings, serving platters and candle holders. And, of course, as with all things made of bamboo, these tools are an eco-friendly alternative to other manufactured cooking tools.

Bamboo Grub around the World

We need only take a peek into cuisines across the globe to see that bamboo’s already made its versatile statement loud and clear. Indeed, the more we delve into other cultures and histories, we see that compared to some countries, it is North America that lags behind in the bamboo trend.

In Indonesia, bamboo stems are thinly sliced before being boiled with thick coconut milk, along with spices, to produce a dish known as gulai rebung. Pickled bamboo, a very different bamboo food product, is a condiment made from the soft pith (centre) of young shoots.

In India, bamboo stems are also used for cooking. The shoots are grated into juliennes and fermented. They become kardi, which is used in various foods, like a vegetable soup known as “amil.” It is also used for pancakes when mixed with rice flour.

In the Himalayas, the bamboo shoot, when it is in its fermented state, is used as an ingredient in a vast array of cuisines. For example, one delicacy has the fermented bamboo shoots cooked in a stew with potatoes. It’s quite a delight.

In addition, bamboo stalks can be used to make beverages. During the rainy season, the sap taken from young stalks can be fermented in order to make ulanzi, which is a sweet wine. They can also be made into soft drinks – a sweet treat for hot days and certainly a departure from East Asia’s familiar hot and sour soup!

Shoots in my Soup

Any great cook will tell you that just as bamboo can be a useful, luxurious and healthy part of house and home, it can also be a tasty addition to many meals. In fact, you may not be surprised to find that many South Asian food fans swear by it!

As Asian cuisine continues to grow at an almost exponential rate in popularity (think high-end restaurants like Nobu, prevalent chains like PF Chang’s or popular shows like Iron Chef America and Japan) the availability of Asian ingredients also grows. No longer limited strictly to Asian supermarkets, bamboo shoots can now be found in your local supermarket’s canned vegetable or “ethnic” food section. And you will find variety as well. They also come in various sliced forms. They can be bought canned or fresh, whatever best suits your need.

Not unlike celery or radishes, bamboo’s relatively bland taste but crunchy and bristly texture allows it to be cooked into a variety of dishes, from broths to stir-frys to curries.

No matter how you slice it—bamboo shoots, that is—you will find a multitude of lovely dishes that beg for a bamboo ingredient.