Bamboo shoots are an important vegetable in the daily meals of many people in China, Taiwan, Thailand and other South East Asian countries. Shoots are sold fresh, or processed and peeled and then tinned, dried or preserved as pickles. Although local consumption in Asia accounts for most of the production, quantities of shoots are exported as canned or processed goods. Increasing pressure on land for other purposes in Taiwan, where one factory processes over 500 tonnes of bamboo shoots daily, has led to a reduction in the area of bamboo plantations. A demand for bamboo shoots is thus increasing in this country which is a traditional supplier of canned bamboo shoots for the Australian market.

In the countries which export bamboo products, shoots for canning come from plantations or are cut from native forests. Lack of regulation and control of the latter practise is causing some concern among foresters who are alarmed at the rapid decline of native groves. Capacity for regeneration is low when harvesting is uncontrolled and excessive.

In contrast to their everyday presence in the meals of Asia, bamboo shoots are considered a gourmet item in Western countries where they are usually available only as imports. This pattern is gradually changing and in Europe shoots already go to market from groves planted near Bordeaux in France and Carasco in Italy. However most shoots on Western markets, including Australia, are processed imports. Only a minor percentage of consumption is filled by locally grown fresh, frozen or salted shoots. Immigrants from Asian homelands appreciate fresh shoots and many ornamental groves of bamboos in parks suffer from having the new shoots stolen as they emerge from the soil. This dastardly practice can be discouraged by providing the market with fresh plantation grown shoots.

A shoot that is fairly stout, light yellow or light brown, purple on the root buds, and white at the basal cut will be tender, fragrant, and tasty. On the other hand, a slender shoot with purple black skin, reddish root buds, and a dark coloured cut base will be tough and have little fragrance. Shoots that have grown above ground are very poor in quality. Preparing shoots for the table Shoots of certain types of bamboo contain amounts of cyanogens and may be toxic to cattle, but cooking destroys these substances and renders the shoots edible and even tasty. Boil freshly cut shoots in one or two changes of plain or lightly salted water before peeling with a sharp knife. Boiling (or steaming) softens the culm leaves covering the shoots and makes them easier to peel. This pre-processing step should not be undertaken if the shoots are to be marketed fresh, as their keeping capacity is lowered drastically after cooking. It is usual to remove all the sheaths, but leave the tender ones near the tip if they are not too hairy. Cut off the woody basal section of the shoot and remove any discoloured parts. These indicate aged and bitter portions. Slice the shoot lengthwise into thin slices four or five millimetres thick, and carve the upper tender parts into decorative shapes if desired.

Prepared bamboo shoots form a useful ingredient in many ordinary dishes either with or without meat. After boiling for about 20 minutes and being drained they can also be served alone with butter melted over them. Add salt near the end of cooking. Use only the most tender parts of non-acrid shoots as a fresh salad ingredient.