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Too long to look at
Eating bamboo shoots is uncomfortable, probably because the tannic acid and oxalic acid of bamboo shoots are relatively high. Remember to blanch the bamboo shoots.
The sweetness of bamboo shoots is easy to lose, and after buying, it is processed as soon as possible and eaten as soon as possible.
If it is not in the place of origin, packaged boiled bamboo shoots are also a good choice.
Heard that bamboo shoots are hair objects?
Before introducing the legend about hair objects and some possible explanations that food is considered to be hair objects, some people left a message saying, are bamboo shoots also hair objects?
First of all, I would like to make it clear that "hair" is not a scientific concept. The discomfort you feel after eating bamboo shoots may be caused by the following reasons:
Some people will have gastrointestinal discomfort after eating bamboo shoots, mainly because the content of tannic acid in bamboo shoots is relatively high. Large amounts of tannic acid may bind to protein components in the stomach to form obstruction.
In addition to tannic acid, the oxalic acid content of bamboo shoots is not low, if it is not blanched and deastringent, it may be very astringent to eat. If you buy fresh bamboo shoots with bamboo shoot skins, remember to blanch the water before entering the dish, and the tannic acid content will be greatly reduced.
No matter how delicious you are, you can't eat it raw. Freshly picked new shoots, oxalic acid has not yet accumulated, but the cyanide in it may poison people! The cyanide content in the tips of fresh shoots is particularly high, and cooking with boiling water can greatly reduce the cyanide content in bamboo shoots. [4]
There are also some people who may indeed be allergic to bamboo shoots, if there are skin and respiratory symptoms after eating bamboo shoots, you can check the allergens yourself, and go to the hospital for medical treatment in time if the symptoms are serious.
Have you ever eaten fresh bamboo shoots?
Saying that bamboo shoots are uncomfortable and not delicious, there may be that you are far from the origin of bamboo shoots, and the bamboo shoots you bought are not very fresh.
When I was a child in Ningbo, I could often eat pickled and braised bamboo shoots every spring. After coming to Beijing, I rarely can eat fresh bamboo shoots.
Many northern friends have difficulty understanding the southern people's fascination with fresh bamboo shoots, and will only say "true fragrance" when they get the sour shoots in the snail powder.
Fleeting sweetness
The newly unearthed bamboo shoots in the spring are indeed a rare seasonal delicacy, and their delicious taste makes the seemingly ordinary home-cooked dish of bacon stewed spring shoots be named "pickled tuk fresh".
The freshness of bamboo shoots comes from a large number of free amino acids. Sweetness comes from reducing sugar.
There are many kinds of amino acids in bamboo shoots, and there have been studies on the composition testing of 8 kinds of bamboo shoots peeled off, and all 8 kinds of bamboo shoots contain 16 kinds of common amino acids, and the total amino acid content is higher than that of other common vegetables. [1]
The protein content in bamboo shoots is also higher than that of other vegetables, usually around 2 to 3%. [1] [2]
Lysine, glutamate and aspartic acid, which do not constitute protein, make bamboo shoots delicious.
But! The sweetness of bamboo shoots is fleeting!
The reducing sugar content in the shoots decreases with respiration, and without any treatment, the respiration rate of the shoots peaks within hours of picking.
Even after pretreatment with ice water and 1% chitosan coating, bamboo shoots can only maintain a low breathing rate for 7 days after picking. [3] At the same time, proteins are constantly broken down, and the content of free amino acids is constantly decreasing.
Therefore, probably only the lucky ones who can buy the local newly picked spring shoots can taste the delicious taste of the legendary "fat sheep and tender pigs, how to compare with each other".
Even if it is the blessing of fresh e-commerce, the north can now buy fresh bamboo shoots, and the "shelf life" column of the product also urgently urges you to "recommend eating immediately after arrival".
Dietary fiber
Not only is the fresh and sweet taste lost rapidly, but the insoluble dietary fiber in bamboo shoots is also increasing rapidly. The content of dietary fiber in bamboo shoots is affected by various factors such as variety, picking time, preservation method, and edible part, but in any case, it is not less.
If you think about it, bamboo shoots eventually grow into bamboo, and bamboo is so hard that it can be used to build fences, dry clothes, make chopsticks, make furniture...
The process by which crisp and tender bamboo shoots grow into hard bamboo is the process of increasing insoluble dietary fibers such as lignin and cellulose.
The increase in lignin and cellulose does not stop the moment the bamboo is harvested, but on the contrary, the cross-section after picking will increase the activity of enzymes that promote the lignification of bamboo shoots.
Even with the treatment of 1% chitosan coating + preservative + low temperature storage, the lignin in fresh shoots will increase rapidly within 3 days and double. [3]
So eating a bite of crisp and tender bamboo shoots is a relay race from mountain picking to processing logistics, from vendor supermarkets to your kitchen.
Early adopter advice
Because bamboo shoots age too quickly and do not stop after picking, bamboo shoots with skin are not necessarily fresh.
In the case that you can choose on the spot, in addition to smelling whether there is a fresh grass fragrance, if allowed, you can also pinch the bottom of the bamboo shoot by hand to see if the moisture is still sufficient.
Buy fresh shoots with skin must be processed as soon as possible, eaten as soon as possible, if you buy more, you can peel and cook after refrigeration and preservation, if there is spare strength, you can make sour shoots and dried bamboo shoots.
If you are far away from the bamboo shoot production area, you can consider buying "boiled bamboo shoots" that have been peeled and boiled. Although it is not as good as fresh bamboo shoots, it can retain the tender taste of bamboo shoots to the greatest extent.
It's fresh enough without adding meat
References: (Updated March 13, 2021)
[1] LI Donglin,SUN Daiyan,SUN Wei,YU Chengjing. Analysis of nutrient composition of fresh bamboo shoots of 8 species of bamboo shoots in the genus Gangzhu[J].Acta Bamboo Sinica,2018,37(04):14-19.
Liu Yuejun,Wang Liping,Fu Bing,Pan Xinhe,Ji Saijuan. Study on the nutrient composition of 13 different species of hejiang square bamboo and thorn square bamboo[J].Zhejiang Forestry Science and Technology,2012,32(04):37-42.
Yu Xuejun. Research on post-harvest physiology and preservation technology of green bamboo shoots[D].Nanjing Forestry University,2004.
Deng Shaoping,Kwong Jiaping,Zhong Weixiang,Xiao Ying. The content of cyanide in edible plants in Hong Kong and the effect of processing on its content[J].Chinese Journal of Food Hygiene, 2008(05):428-431.
How do you like to eat bamboo shoots?