Bamboo Shoots

I cheat by buying the tinned version. The best bamboo shoots apparently come from China’s Zhejiang province and the most flavourful are the small, young winter shoots. Study the label on the tin to see if you can find these two qualities. It is best to boil them first before they are julienned for popiah and pong tauhu. A hallmark of a meticulous Nonya cook was to be able to slice them halus (fine).