They are probably Moso young shoots. They taste very good if you know how to cook them :-), otherwise they taste extremely bitter like a pill and it is poisonous too... so be careful should you'd like to try.
You can buy dried Moso Shoot at some oriental food marts. They were pre-processed and poisonless. Cook them with duck, some noddle, some mint and there you have a wonderful bamboo duck noodle soup.
Sounds very weird huh? But trust me, it tastes wonderful :-).

J.N

In fact, you can get Cyanide poisoned if you do not know to cook them :-).

http://www.inbar.int/publication/txt/INBAR_Working_Paper_No39.htm

Plants with Beards did you happen to notice how much the shoots were selling for? I saw some here in Charlottesville,VA for the first time this spring at an Asian grocery store. They weren't real fresh and I don't know what variety they were but they were only selling for $1.49/lb. After a week he reduced the price of the ones that were left to $0.99/lb. They were pretty sorry looking by then.

This spring I gave away about 25 pounds of Phyllostachys nuda shoots to Asians I work with and they all liked them. They tell me that fresh ones are much different than the canned or frozen ones that are their only choices here.Several people brought in samples of the dishes they made with the shoots and they were very good. The shoots don't seem to have much flavor of their own but they do take up the flavor of the foods they are cooked with, they have a nice texture and they are pretty nutritious.

Bamboo Nuts the paper from INBAR that you linked to says that cyanide is not a problem in the Chinese food industry and that the amount of cyanide varies from none in some species to toxic levels in others. I believe that Phyllostachys have low levels. Still, I'm parboiling mine first. There is more information available on the web about the "edibility" of various species. BTW, where in Virginia are you? I am in Charlottesville.
Cordially,
flourboy

In the spring issue of Westfront's Agriculture Institute it was said that most of the bamboo shoots in the market in the U.S. are made out of soybeans.

flourboy, I didn't ask about the price - I'm going back this weekend to pick some up and take a crack at making something with them. They couldn't have been that new, as a shoot that size must have come from pretty far away.

I'm amazed that you could harvest 25 pounds of nuda shoots. That's a lot of shoots. I think you're right in that most of the Phyllostachys have lower levels of toxins. I've read that nuda shoots can be eaten raw.

Do you plan on harvesting shoots every year?

Plants with Beards (Iris?),
Yes I do plan of harvesting shoots next year. I'd like to get some land out in the country somewhere and grow a much larger crop. I predict that fresh bamboo shoots will be available in some grocery stores (Whole Foods) within the next ten years.

I tried a bite of a nuda shoot raw and it was kind of bitter with a "grassy" flavor. I prefer them cooked.

Last week I planted small plants of P. dulcis and Moso. I also have Vivax and Rubromarginata and others. It'll be four or five years before they produce any quantity but I can wait. I'm building a collection of plants that produce good quality edible shoots with some variety in their shooting period.

BTW, I just received two t-shirts made from 70% bamboo fiber and 30% cotton. They are very soft. I haven't washed them yet though, so I don't know how they'll hold up.

flourboy

Flourboy,
It is true that the level of toxicity in bamboo won't kill you immediately :-). You can only get poisoned after a long period of time and you must have eaten them every often.
Bamboo usage has rooted (yeah rooted :-)) in Asian culture for thousands of years: from building materials to food and in art as well as in literature and philosophy (this expains why you see lots of paitings of bamboo plants in Asian art).
I was thinking like the guy in "Forrest Gump" who thinks he can do anything with shrimp.. :-)... shrimp kabob... shrimp coconut...shrimp stew...etc... So the same truth can apply to bamboo :-). There are several good dishes in Vietnamese Cusine that use bamboo shoots. I do not know much about Chinese cooking though (not my favorite Cusin :-)). Hummm... to make bamboo a bit more Americanized... I was thinking something like... Bamboo BarbeQue? Bamboo Beer? :-).
Ok, enough with bamboo shoots. I live in Chantilly, by Dulles Airport. Do not see much bamboo in this area. See no giant bamboos here either. Most of my bamboos were ordered from Oregon. Do you grow any giant bamboos? Please share with us their pics if you can.
Thanks
Regards,
J.N

Bamboo Nuts,
I don'thave any timber bamboo of any size yet but in a few years I hope to. Right now the biggest I've got is some nuda with culms that are about 25' tall and 1 1/4" in diameter. It has been increasing in size dramatically every year so next year I wouldn't be surprised if it hits 35'. I would really like to see my vivax Aureocaulis hit 60'.

When I was a kid we lived in the Canal Zone in Panama. I remember giant culms at Summit Gardens that had died but were still standing. They had split open and so as a little kid I was able to squeeze into the culms!

There is a very good supplier of bamboo plants here in Virginia. Email me if you want the address of their web page.
flourboy

Flourboy -

I like your plan - and it would be awesome to see fresh shoots at Whole Foods. I've often thought about farming shoots. I'm not sure how feasible that would be - I might be 1/2 zone too cold to get market-worthy harvests. (I'm a borderline 7).

J.N. -
I've seen a recipe floating around out there for bamboo beer. I think you have to take the American thing a step further, "Coke. Now with Bamboo" or a "McShoots Quarterpounder."

Or bamboo revisionist history:
Did you know that George Washington's false teeth were made out of bamboo?

I planted a Ph Nigra Henon specifically for the purpose of harvesting shoots. It will be a few years before that happens. It has 1/8 acre to spread out in. That should eventually yield a nice bunch of shoots. Am considering a Moso too.

Flourboy,
I'm sure interested in knowing their webpage. Will email you soon.
"vivax Aureocaulis" is one of my favorites. I got two last year from Oregon. Can they reach that 60ft high? :-). I have one at the left corner of my house (front size) and I have a roor barrier dug deep 30" aroung the root. Diameter is about 5ft. Is these enough room for it to grow? How old is your "vivax Aureocaulis"? what is diameter of the culms now?

Plants_with_Beards,

- hummm I thought I was the first to think of that? :-)... but I'm quite surprised that someone already made beer out of bamboo... its' interesting.
Oh! the idea of McShoots is not bad at all. Lots of Vegetarians in my area :-).

- Now this is grossed :-).


Seriously, it is not bad idea. You can sell them to your local Asian food stores. They would love to buy them. Other than that I don't know where you can find customers?
But it'w worth the try. Check with local Asian food stores and see if you make a deal with them.
Good luck.
Regards,
J.N

JN -

I don't think it was 'beer' in the traditional sense (hops/grains,etc)- but it was some sort of fermented bamboo extract - I think from the South Pacific. Maybe your idea still stands?

We have some friends who make a bamboo shoot soup,Has noodles,chicken,lemon grass,bamboo shoots and Hmong herbs,very spicy and soo delicious. I give her shoots and she supplies us with soup,great trade!

Here is a shoot that a friend gave me. He bought it in Chinatown, Boston last Feb. I made an excellent stir fry with it. It's like night and day comparing fresh and canned.
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Are those Moso shoots?

Not sure what kind it was.

Stockwell...is that a corian countertop? nice with the maple trim around it....Oh and those plates make me hungry...

Kurt

Flourboy,

I'm bought one of those bamboo t-shirts too. They are normally $15 w./ shipping, but I won one of the auctions and paid a few $$$ less. Really for 15 it's not that bad. I sent them an e-mail asking what kind of boo they use in them thar shirts and this is their response if anyone is interested.......

(oh yeah, I'm not promoting them..Haven't even received the shirt so I can't vouch for em, but hey it's made from bamboo)

Aloha,
We are always happy to meet fellow plant-lovers. Yes, please mention us. Our URL is http://stores.ebay.com/Bamboo-Wear. Typically the outer layer of the plant is used for textiles from a number of species, including: Arthrostylidium spp., Aulonemia patula, A. longiaristata, Bambusa bambos, B. blumeana, B. chungii, B. dolichoclada, B. multiplex, B. mutabilis, B. nutans, B. oldhamii, B. textilis & cvs., B. tuldoides, Chusquea spp., Dendrocalamus giganteus, D. hamiltonii, Gigantochloa albociliata, G. apus, G. hasskarliana, Guadua spp. (young shoots), Melocanna baccifera, Merostachys spp., Otatea acuminata, Phyllostachys angusta, P. arcana, P. a. luteosulcata, P. bissetii, P. flexuosa, P. glauca, P. mannii 'Mannii', P. meyeri, P. propinqua, P. robustiramea, P. rubromarginata, Rhipidocladum racemiflorum, Schizostachyum spp.
Thank you for your interest!
Sincerely,
BambooWear

Forget water spitters & tomato stakes, I'm makin me some mittens!!!
Rick

Naw, just plain old laminate (Formica). Keen eye identifying the maple though.

From the pic it looked like corian. a nice pattern to it. The maple trim is a great way to do formica(reasonable cost) and have a nice dressed edge (routered) on your counter top.
I have a bunch of those tees. I got my wife some too....(women section) Too bad Rich doesn't carry kids sizes. I'll have to email him and ask him.

Kurt

whoa.....that isn't where i got my shirts. I think this guy is buying from the guy i got mine from. i could be wrong but he is more expensive.

Kurt

Anyone know if these shoots from the grocery store will grow if you plant them, or put them in water?

No, they are only good for eating.

Recepies for handling and cooking are at midatlantic bamboo.

I have been growing phylostachys Dulcis[sweet shoot bamboo]for over 10 years in cumberland county in south jersey. Try some this spring for free.

Anyone selling or growing still in Northern Va. area or close by Maryland?
We have LOTS of shoots this year, hundreds of pounds and are looking for where to sell, as well as proper price.
We have over 30 species on over ten acres of the family farm, and are looking to increase species, so are happy to trade for anything new, including other unusual plants, such as variegated arundo donax, aquatics, etc. We have a large nursery so have hundreds of different plants available.
Peter (peterknop@yahoo.com)

If you wonder how many ways can bamboo shoots be marketed, have a browse at this exhaustive list - bamboo shoot products from China.

Anybody out there contd. harvest Bamboo Shoot...Let me know. Let get it roll...