ABSTRACT
Bamboo shoots, like asparagus, are thick, pointed shoots that emerge out of the ground and if left unharvested, develop into stems. As with asparagus and several other vegetables, earth is sometimes hilled up around the shoots to blanch them, that is, to produce whiter, more succulent material. Shoots of most bamboo species are edible, but bamboo shoots are collected primarily from several species, particularly of the genera Psyllostachys and Bambusa. Young stems are harvested when about 15 cm (6 in.) in height.
