Bamboo and Rattan

GIGANTOCHLEA NIGROCLIATA, no mai lai,

BAMBUSA TULDA, no mai bong, and

DENDROCALAMUS HAMILTONII, no mai hok.

What people eat are the young bamboo shoots, prepared for consumption by being boiled or pickled. No so are pickled bamboo shoots which have been chopped fairly finely. No sae is the same product, but sliced instead of chopped. No mai sum refers to bamboo shoots which have been preserved by chopping them up and storing them dry, with rice and salt, for about a year in large earthenware jars. An alternative technique is to store the chopped shoots wet, in rice-washing water. They keep well either way.