Bamboo is a plant that some cultures still use to construct houses, bridges, and other structures. It is also a popular food source for many animals, especially the iconic panda. However, did you know that you can eat bamboo? Let’s dig down to the topic further “How to eat bamboo.”
As a matter of fact, you can eat bamboo! This fact has been a well-known fact among a few Asian communities for hundreds if not thousands of years. It is made from thin strips of bamboo that are boiled in water and seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
However, what people are really after are the bamboo shoots. Although it’s a staple food in some Asian communities, is this plant healthy for you? How do you even cook it?
In this article, we will scrutinize the bamboo, specifically the bamboo shoots, since it’s the best part of the bamboo.
Bamboo is a type of grass that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. So yes, for this article, we will be teaching you about eating grass! When you think about it, did you know that rice is also grass? Eating grass has been more than a thousand-year tradition.
It is a fast-growing plant that can grow up to 30 inches in one day. Not only does it grow fast, but it doesn’t require hands-on cultivation or fertilizing to grow.
As remarkable as the bamboo itself is, what we really want is the bamboo shoot.
Bamboo shoots are a type of edible shoots harvested from the bamboo plant. They are a popular food in Asian countries. The shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, and they can be either for soups, stir-fries, salads, and more.
While there are many bamboo species, certain species like Phyllostachys Edulis and Bambusa Vulgaris are the most common and the favorite type to eat. The bamboo shoot exterior skin has a woody, earthy, and thick texture, and while it is edible, most peel it away since it’s difficult to chew.
Bamboo shoots have a high nutritional value, so they are often used as a healthy diet. They contain many nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B6, folate, iron, calcium, and potassium. It is an excellent plant to eat if you want to lose weight.
Here is a breakdown of the nutritional value of a bamboo shoot:
- Copper: Copper has been shown to have many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving circulation.
- Fiber: The benefits of fiber are numerous, but the most important is its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Fiber can also help with weight loss, digestive health, and more.
- Phosphorus: Phosphorus is an essential mineral that helps produce ATP, which is the energy currency of cells. It also helps in the formation of DNA and RNA.
- Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It is also essential for the synthesis of DNA and RNA.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that has been found to have numerous health benefits. It can help protect against heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Vitamin K: Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for blood clotting. It is also known as “the coagulation vitamin” because it helps the blood to clot.
- Potassium: Potassium is a mineral essential for the proper functioning of the body. It helps in maintaining fluid balance and regulating blood pressure.
As you can see, it is food filled with high nutritional value. It will be a bummer if you miss out on this many vitamins and other minerals beneficial to your body.
Research has shown that bamboo shoots can bring plenty of health benefits to your body. Here are some of the benefits you can take advantage of:
Bamboo shoots have high amounts of fiber. However, the fiber is not necessarily for you but for the gut bacteria that live in your stomach. Fiber serves as fuel for your gut bacteria, and thanks to their improved health, it can help prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression, and heart diseases.
Likewise, when your gut bacteria are fed with fiber, it improves your digestion and significantly reduces the chances of constipation.
If you are considering weight loss, you should eat foods with high fiber content, and bamboo may be the healthy diet for you. Sugar and foods high in carbohydrates will make you go hungry easier.
While on the other hand, high fiber content fills your stomach relatively quickly despite having low-calorie content. So it would be hard to binge food when your stomach is full.
Bamboo shoots are low in calories and high in nutritional value. So if you eat the plant consistently, it will lower the cholesterol levels in your body.
Cooking that iconic bamboo shoot isn’t actually difficult. To start, you may first want to peel off the fibrous outer layers, sort of like peeling corn.
After that, add them into salted boiling water for around 20-30 minutes. You can also consider cooking it for two hours at medium-low heat. The boiling process will soften the bamboo shoot and remove its bitter taste.
To check if that bamboo shoot is cooked or not, use a toothpick or a fork to test how soft it is. Ideally, the fork or toothpick should pierce the bamboo shoot without resistance. Once the bamboo shoot is soft enough, remove it from the salted boiling water and allow it to cool down.
They are now suitable for food, and you can add them to any recipe you want to try. However, if that lingering bitter taste is there, consider boiling it in freshwater for another five minutes. Repeat the process until you achieve that subtle flavor.
Bamboo is known for being the panda’s favorite meal, and there’s a good reason for it. Bamboo is incredibly nutritious and delicious, offering health benefits that help avoid chronic illnesses.