Bamboo as a Food Source

[toisan]

After our bamboo tour in China this past May I have begun to think that all our effort in promoting bamboo utilization is perhaps misdirected. This thinking was the result of learning that in China over 90% of the income derived from bamboo is from bamboo as a food source.

Here we were, the touring group,a group made up of Africans, and Americans being shown manufacturers of bamboo products that in most cases used sophisticated machinery that awed us in their operation and the the finished products.

My feeling during the tour was that we are missing something and that something was more fundamendal than what we were being shown. I believe that something is bamboo as a food source. A question was put to one of the African delegate about bamboo as a food souce and the response was amazing. The response was that in Africa bamboo is seldom used as a food source except during times of extreme famine. A comment to this was that perhaps it was more effective to send Chinese restaurants ( entrepreneur) to these undeveloped nations . This was said in jest but that is a truth that is as applicable in the Americas and Europe.

It was also pointed out that out that usually countries that are self sufficient in food production are not as "advanced " as countries that develop a solid marketable product for overseas market.

Anyway, I think I will be more vigorous in promoting bamboo as a food source. It is also a means for controlling bamboo growth.

[Mark Meckes]

Good to hear from you Paul!
I most definitely agree that bamboo as a food source, in addition to all the applications, utensils and uses in the culinary fields has great promise.
There couldn't be a better way to promote bamboo, then around the dinner table!

Due to the fact that bamboo has a limited period to produce new culms for the following year, it has evolved to over-produce the number of culms it can sustain. This serves as insurance that enough new culms will survive.
This is where selective shoot harvesting comes into the picture.

Even bamboo pole production can benefit from shoot harvesting, because, without a doubt, selective thinning produces higher quality poles.

Pole quality is diminished in overcrowded conditions.
This can also be attributed to excessive rhizome production which needs to be carefully managed.

There is a misconception that a bamboo planting is attached to one single rhizome network, whereas it is actually comprised of numerous independently growing rhizome networks, each vying for a space in the grove.

We will soon be undergoing a structural re-organization of these forums and on the agenda is to dedicate a forum to the topic of bamboo as a food source and other culinary applications.

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

This post begins the new sub-forum of Growing Bamboo > Bamboo as a Food Crop.
Here we can gather info and discuss all issues about bamboo as a food, forage and culinary cuisine.

Bon apétit!

[egaliquio]

Hello, I would like to know what species are more suitable for food. How long should I wait until I can harvest it? How is the process?
Thank you!