EDIBLE BAMBOO SHOOT

Look at the lovely Buluh Madu plant (Honey Bamboo) above.  It was planted near the College Cooperative Shop about two years ago and has since multiplied.  Last week, while Kamariah and I were walking past the Shop, she noticed that there was a young shoot amongst all the other bamboo plants.

Here is a closer shot of the bamboo shoot.  It is about 2 feet in height.

A clos-up shot of the bamboo shoot.

Here you have Kamariah harvesting the bamboo shoot.  She had given a call to the lecturer who planted the bamboo and asked if she could have the shoot.  Here in Malaysia, the shoot or rebung is used for culinary purposes.  For your information, bamboo shoots are young, new canes that are harvested for food before they are two weeks old or one-foot tall.  Though the shoot here was about 2 feet tall, it still could be eaten.

Bamboo shoots are not only delicious but are also rich in nutrients, and rank among the five most popular healthcare foods in the world.  Modern research finds that the bamboo shoot has a number of medicinal benefits, from cancer prevention and weight loss to improving appetite and digestion. It is also low in sugar and therefore can be used for treating hypertension, hyperlipemia and hyperglycemia.

Japanese scientists recently discovered that bamboo shoots contain anti-cancer agents and making them a regular part of your diet effectively eliminates the free radicals that can produce dangerous carcinogens.

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