Glorious Bamboo Shoot

I was caught in a traffic jam this morning and looking outside the car window, I saw this glorious fertile Bamboo trees just near the riverbank. This remind me of the time when I was a kid where I used to follow my mom to look for Bamboo shoots.

Bamboo shoots are the sprouts of the Bamboo tree which spring out beside it. These sprouts are edible and quite tasty if you know how to cook it. Bamboo is known to be the tallest and largest in the grass family and is one of the fastest growing plants in the world.

Now days Bamboo shoots are commercially sold in the market either fresh or canned. A fresh shoots can last up to two weeks on condition that its refrigerated. Way back when I was a kid, my mom used to peel the tough leaves of each bamboo shoot to reveal the tender interior. If you're not careful and touch the tough leaves, your hands end up so itchy. After peeling the tough leaves my mom will shreds the tender interior and soak it into warm water.

To cook Bamboo shoot, first you need to boil it to removes its bitter taste. Then, take out the Bamboo shoots to cool into room temperature and refrigerate it or cooked it to your taste.

Here's my favorite simple Bamboo shoot dish recipe.

Ingredient

Here's what you need:

• 50g or a can of bamboo (cut into pieces)

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms

• 300g of pork

• 2 teaspoon of garlic, chopped

• 2 teaspoon of rice wine

• a few drops of sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce

• 1 teaspoon of black salty sauce

• A quarter teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of sugar

• 2 inch of ginger (chopped)

• a little bit of pepper powder

• 2 cups water

Cooking Method

1. Clean the mushrooms and soak with water until it turn to soft. Squeeze the water out and let it dry.

2. Clean the pork. Soak into water for a while. Cut into pieces.

3. Heat a tablespoon of oil and fried the garlic and ginger until fragrant.

4. Put in the pork. Fried for a while then put into the mushrooms and Bamboo shoots. Sprinkle the rice wine into it.

5. Add oyster sauce, black salty sauce, salt, sugar, pepper powder and water.

6. Stir well and cover the pan. Cook over small fire until it is thickened.

7. Add sesame oil. Stir until smooth and lift.

Yum...the food is ready to serve!