Edible Bamboo

From Gib’s Picks for Edible Shoots:

Bambusa oldhamii – Giant timer bamboo

Phyllostachys dulcis – sweet shoot bamboo

Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens – Moso bamboo

Phyllostachys nidularia – Big nod bamboo

Phyllostachys nuda – Nude sheath bamboo

Phyllostachys rubromarginata – Red margin bamboo

Read more about bamboos from Gib’s site at http://www.bamboodirect.com/bamboo/catalog/gibs_picks2.html

AsianFood.org lists the following as edible bamboo:

Bambusa vulgaris,

Phyllostachys edulis,

P. pubescens,

Dendrocalamus asper.

More from their site: http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_1.cfm?alpha=B&wordid=3218&startno=1&endno=25

 

Washiongton State University’s pamphlet about bamboo shoots list its nutritional value and a few recipes, http://agsyst.wsu.edu/bambroc.pdf

 

Bamboo forum on Gardenweb.com has a thread about edible bamboo shoots, http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/asianveg/msg031920376027.html

Phyllostachys aurea is supposed to be good eating. Phyllostachys vivax is good. The shoots are also large in diameter so are easier to prepare. P. nuda is also good. P. dulcis is supposed to be the best of the hardy bamboos--it's supposed to be good raw--, but I haven't tried it yet. Just got one started. Black bamboo, P. nigra, is isn't so good from what I've read, but haven't eaten this one yet. All these running bamboos will become invasive once the grove gets well established, so you need to plan where you plant it. If you don't have a large area, you can use underground barriers. don't plant near your flower beds or vegetable gardens. One bamboo grove of mine sends out shoots at least 30 feet from the nearest culm.

Just a word of caution: if it is an unidentified variety, it's better to err on the safe side and *boil* the cleaned shoots for about 10 minutes, drain them and then use them in stir-fry because some "garden varieties" of Phyllostachys sp. contain cyanide.