Can bamboo shoots be eaten raw? Pay attention to these points before eating them raw

Bamboo shoots have gained people's affection, and because of their delicate fragrance and fresh, delicious taste, they are regarded as a treasure among vegetables. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that bamboo shoots are sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic and possess medicinal effects. So can bamboo shoots be eaten raw? Let's learn about it together below.

Eating bamboo shoots raw is also possible, but only in small amounts. Fresh sweet bamboo shoots are sweet and full of water, and can be eaten raw right after being cut down, but the usual ways to eat them are stir-frying, making soup, and pounding them after roasting over a fire; different ways of eating give different tastes. Eating bamboo shoots raw also has certain benefits, such as nourishing the stomach and intestines, and detoxifying and beautifying the skin. But when you are preparing to eat bamboo shoots raw, you must wash the bamboo shoots a bit more cleanly to avoid bacterial infection and harm to the body.

Bamboo shoots are best eaten after being cooked

Although eating a small amount raw has benefits, bamboo shoots contain oxalic acid, so it is recommended to blanch them in boiling water to remove the oxalic acid before cooking. Because oxalic acid is soluble in water, a quick dip in hot water can remove 60% of the oxalic acid. This practice is especially important for middle-aged and elderly people and pregnant women who need calcium supplements. The oxalic acid contained in bamboo shoots is not a component the human body needs. If a large amount of oxalic acid is ingested, it will cause a decrease in the body's calcium absorption rate and can also lead to kidney stone problems.

Of course, everyone does not need to be overly nervous either. The body's absorption rate of oxalic acid is not high, only about 10%, so the impact on the human body is not great, and health problems are triggered only under conditions of extremely large intake. However, just to be safe, before eating bamboo shoots, everyone had best blanch them in water, and then they can safely be “imported”, and it also makes cooking more convenient.