Fresh Boiled Bamboo Shoots

Springtime is time for bamboo shoots—a tender yet crunchy vegetable with an elusive aroma all its own. Haunt your local source of fresh Oriental vegetables from late March through May. Select fairly small shoots weighing about 1 pound each. Damp earth should still be clinging to the outer leaves, and a faint musky odor is no cause for alarm. There should be no mold, however, anywhere on the shoot.