What are the varieties of edible bamboo shoots? Which one tastes best? Read this to find out

Bamboo shoots are a delicacy many people love, with a fresh taste and unique texture. The taste and flavor of bamboo shoots vary from season to season, so do you know exactly what varieties of bamboo shoots there are? Let's find out below.

1. Spring bamboo shoots

Spring bamboo shoots, generally speaking, the bamboo shoots marketed from February to May can all be called spring bamboo shoots. The shoots dug after the Start of Spring, praised for their plump bodies, whiteness like jade, tender flesh and refreshing deliciousness, are known as the "king of vegetables" and also called one of the "eight mountain delicacies".

2. Rhizome shoots

Rhizome shoots, also called whip tips, shoot whips or side shoots, are the tips of bamboo rhizomes grown in summer and autumn by various edible bamboo species. The production season is from June to October each year. The shoots are slender and shaped like a horsewhip, hence the name. Rhizome shoots taste fresh and delicious, but the yield is extremely low.

3. Winter bamboo shoots

Winter bamboo shoots specifically refer to moso bamboo shoots that have not yet emerged from the soil in winter, because only moso bamboo produces winter shoots; other varieties of bamboo do not. Winter bamboo shoots grow from December of the previous year to before Spring Festival. They are shoot buds developed from the lateral buds of the moso bamboo underground stem (rhizome). Because they have not yet emerged from the soil, the shoot tips are tender, crisp and refreshing.

4. Lei bamboo shoots

Lei bamboo shoots are the shoots grown by a type of bamboo called Lei bamboo. Naturally grown Lei bamboo shoots only emerge when spring begins, but now we can also eat Lei bamboo shoots before Spring Festival. This uses artificial cultivation methods, covering the base of the bamboo with rice husk and animal manure and other materials that ferment to generate heat, which allows Lei bamboo shoots to come to market earlier.

5. Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoots have a unique texture, some crisp and some very chewy. They taste fresh and delicious and are deeply loved by most people. But although they are all bamboo shoots, different varieties, different origins, different seasons, different cooking methods, and even different harvesting times and different times from harvest to being served at the table can all affect the taste and flavor when eaten.

6. Ma bamboo shoots

Ma bamboo shoots, also called sweet bamboo, big green bamboo, Wa Ni bamboo, etc., are planted in mainland China and Southeast Asia. Ma bamboo shoots include multiple varieties, mainly characterized by thick, fresh and tender flesh, smooth and delicious.

7. Arrow bamboo shoots

Arrow bamboo shoots are the favorite food of our national treasure, the giant panda. Crisp outside and tender inside, juicy and smooth, with a slight bitterness unique to bamboo shoots. Because they are supplied to giant pandas year-round, the yield is extremely rare, with the annual harvest less than one percent of ordinary bamboo shoots, supplied only to a small number of people.

8. Red-shell bamboo shoots

Red-shell bamboo shoots are named because their shoot shells are red. Their shoot season is basically from mid-April to mid-May. They are the most widely cultivated edible shoots after Lei bamboo shoots, and their eating period just follows that of Lei bamboo shoots. They are white in texture, tender in flesh, pure in fragrance and rich in nutrients.

9. Dragon-whisker bamboo shoots

Dragon-whisker bamboo shoots, also called precious bamboo shoots or snowflake bamboo shoots, mainly come from cold bamboo, growing in wild forests at about 2000 m above sea level in the Emei Mountain range, in an environment of around 10°C, pollution-free and rich in nutrients, containing abundant plant protein, and are called a "mountain delicacy".

10. Stone bamboo shoots

Stone bamboo shoots are one of the most commonly eaten wild bamboo shoots, and among wild bamboo shoots their shoot season is relatively early. They generally begin to emerge in early April and are in full production by mid-April. Stone bamboo shoots are very delicious in flesh, and the dried bamboo shoots made from them are the finest among dried bamboo shoots, softer and fresher than ordinary dried bamboo shoots, and without that throat-pricking taste. They can be steamed, boiled or stir-fried.

The above is an introduction to the varieties of bamboo shoots. Besides the varieties mentioned above, there are many bamboo shoots with excellent taste and nutrition that are deeply loved by people. As for bamboo shoots, which one do you like to eat most? Let's find out below.

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