Bamboo shoots

Bamboo shoot
Edible bamboo shoots
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin zhú sǔn Yue: Cantonese Jyutping zuk1 seon2
Korean name
Hangul	죽순, 대나무싹
Transcriptions Revised Romanization juk sun, daenamu ssak
Japanese name
Kanji	竹の子 or 筍
Kana	タケノコ
Transcriptions Romanization takenoko
Nepali name
Nepali	तामा (Tama)
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	măng
Tagalog name
Tagalog	labóng or tambô
Assamese name
Assamese	বাঁহ গাজ/খৰিচা (bah gaj/khorisa
Indonesian name
Indonesian	rebung
Jumma people name
Jumma people	bajchuri

Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths. They are sold in various processed shapes, and are available in fresh, dried, and canned versions.

Raw bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic glycosides, natural toxins also contained in cassava. The toxins must be destroyed by thorough cooking and for this reason fresh bamboo shoots are often boiled before being used in other ways. The toxins are also destroyed in the canning process.

Shoots of several species of bamboo are harvested for consumption:

Bamboo shoot tips are called zhú sǔn jiān () or simply sǔn jiān () in Chinese, although they are mostly referred to as just sǔn (笋). This sounds similar in Korean juk sun (죽순), a commonly used form, although the native word daenamu ssak (대나무싹) is present. In Vietnamese, bamboo shoots are called măng and in Japanese as take no ko (竹の子 or 筍). Chakma people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh call it Bajchur and it is their traditional food. Bamboo shoot tips are called Myit in Myanmar. In Cambodia, they are called Tumpeang (ទំពាំង).

In certain parts of Japan, China and Taiwan, shoots from the giant timber bamboo Bambusa oldhamii is harvested in spring or early summer. Young shoots from this species are highly sought after due to its crisp texture and sweet taste. Older shoots, however, have an acrid flavor and should be sliced thin and boiled in a large volume of water several times. The sliced bamboo is edible after boiling. B. oldhamii is more widely known as a noninvasive landscaping bamboo.