Joylynn Hardesty wrote:How do you cook your bamboo?
We always go in the early morning and looking for new sprouts appearing.
Depeding on the bamboo type it could be 3-4 Kilo or just a few 100 grams.
We peel the bamboo:
Funny, I see many western visitors they try to peel a shoot like a corn or banana.
Just cut once all the way down and take the leaves (peel) in one go off, until you have freed the inner white core.
Then you cut it in thumb size chunks or strips. (depending what you want to make out of it)
Bring slightly salted
water to simmer (NOT boil) and dump the bamboo into it.
It needs to be slowly cooked for 45 - 60 minutes.
A toothpick will tell you when the bamboo is done when it goes all the way through without resistance.
Further processing is variable:
Pickling, Canning, stir fry the slices, add to the soup and salad, or eat the thick pieces chilled with a slash of Mayonaise as a refreshing snack...
Stir fry is the main use:
Just Bamboo with thin sliced meats of all kind, spicy or sweet sour also in stews with brown gravvy..
It just goes everywhere (but I personally find it doens't go along with fish)
My favourite:
Stir fry minced meat, add garlic, onion, Cocktail tomatoes, chilies, ginger and bamboo shoot strips...
Salt, Pepper, a teaspoon fish sauce (or oyster sauce) and a bit soy sauce... To balance the taste spikes out, add a sprinkle of sugar
We use instaed of sugar also Tamarind paste which gives a fruity note.