Harvesting and cooking bamboo

Bamboo shoots ready for harvesting. Photo by Leonora Enking

One of the books I came across when I first started reading about foraging was Ellen Zachos's Backyard Foraging. While Samuel Thayer's book focuses on venturing out into the woods or swamp to forage, Zachos's focuses more on plants you likely already have for ornamental purposes.

Zachos lists bamboo as one of these edible plants. Foragers should harvest the young shoots (which look a little like asparagus), about 6-12 inches tall.

In New Orleans, bamboo grows all over the place - in front and backyards of uptown homes, along the canals in Gentilly and the Lower Ninth Ward, in storefront displays and along the river. I came across a grove in public domain uptown and harvested a couple shoots to sample the flavor.

Don't eat the shoots raw. Zachos cautions that "some species contain a toxic cyanogenic glycoside called taxiphyllin" (31), which foragers can remove by boiling the shoots.

To prepare: cut off the tips of the shoots, slice gently through the outer skin (just the surface), and boil the shoots until tender. Remove the shoots and cool. Peel the layers and slice the core.

After this process, I tried stir-frying the shoots with a little butter and salt. They were yummy! When I harvest more, I will try mixing them with honey-garlic chicken and cashews. You can also add the shoots to salads, rice, or whatever suits your fancy.

Bamboo is very nutritious. It is high in fiber and rich in protein. Various studies have revealed other medicinal and health benefits: bamboo can help prevent cancer, aid in weight loss and improved digestion, and treat hypertension, hyperlipemia, and hyperglycemia.

As an added foraging benefit, bamboo is considered an invasive species, so you don't have to feel guilty about harvesting the shoots. It will keep spreading.