Bamboo Shoots

The pointed, cylindrical shoots are young growths from a specific, edible variety of bamboo. Eaten raw, they are quite caustic and cause an unpleasant reaction, so they must be cooked. Buy them fresh, cut off the top third, and then trim the outer circumference to get rid of the tougher leaves. Boil the peeled shoots in salted water until cooked through. They should yield easily when pierced with a skewer. If not cooking fresh, use high-quality, store-bought bamboo shoots that are packed in airtight bags with a little brine. You pay for the quality, but their superiority over the lackluster canned ones makes it worth a few bucks’ difference. Thai: naw mai; Malay: bamboo redang; Vietnamese: măng