Harvesting Giant Bamboo Shoots - Making Spicy Bamboo Shoots

1. Selection of harvest time:

• Giant bamboo shoots are usually harvested at the beginning of the rainy season, when new bamboo shoots begin to emerge from the ground. The ideal time is 3-5 days after the bamboo shoots grow to ensure that the bamboo shoots are young, sweet and not hard.

2. How to harvest:

• Use a sharp knife or specialized tool to cut the bamboo shoots. Cut the bamboo shoots close to the root, being careful not to damage the bamboo trunk.
• After cutting, bamboo shoots need to be preliminarily processed immediately to avoid plastic flow, making bamboo shoots bitter and difficult to process.

Processing of bamboo shoots

1. Ingredients:

• 2-3 fresh giant bamboo shoots
• 5-6 fresh chili peppers (depending on spicy taste)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 red onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce

2. Preliminary processing of bamboo shoots:

• Peel off the outer skin of the bamboo shoots, rinse and cut into thin slices or bite-sized pieces.
• Boil the water, add the bamboo shoots and boil for about 15-20 minutes to remove natural toxins and make the bamboo shoots softer. Then, take out the bamboo shoots and soak them in cold water to keep them crispy.

3. Processing:

• Finely chop the chili, garlic, and red onion.
• Fry the garlic and onion in cooking oil. Then, add the chili peppers and stir-fry.
• Next, add the prepared bamboo shoots to the pan, add salt, sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce. Stir-fry with your hands so that the bamboo shoots absorb the spices.
• Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the bamboo shoots are tender and soaked in spicy spices.

4. Complete and Enjoy:

• Once the bamboo shoots are cooked, turn off the heat and let cool.
• Spicy bamboo shoots can be served with white rice, vermicelli or used as an ingredient for other stir-fry dishes.