Not all bamboo shoots are edible. Of the 1700 different kinds of bamboo plants, less than 200 are considered edible.
Yet only a handful are delicious, they can be eaten raw or cooked.
Most of the are bitter and require thorough preparations before cooking and eating.
10 edible bamboo shoots
These 10 edible bamboo plants grow in the UK, either in gardens or in botanical gardens as exotic tropical plants. You can actually grow them.
Most are featured here at Garden Bamboo Plants, follow the links for more details.
Delicious [*5/5]
- Phyllostachys flexuosa Sinuate Bamboo
- Phyllostachys nuda Nude Sheath Bamboo
- Phyllostachys vivax Chinese Timber Bamboo
- Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda Walking Stick Bamboo
Phyllostachys vivax Chinese Timber Bamboo Shoot
Good [*4/5]
- Bamboo Phyllostachys Sulphurea Viridis
- Dendrocalamus giganteus Giant Bamboo
- Phyllostachys edulis Moso Bamboo
Edible [*3/5]
- Phyllostachys atrovaginata Incense Bamboo
- Bambusa vulgaris Common Bamboo
- Fargesia robusta Umbrella Bamboo
*For more on edible ratings, visit this website https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/edible-bamboo-species.
Bambusa vulgaris Common Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo plants for sale, UK
Here is where to buy the clump-forming bamboo plants online.
We listed some top UK Home and Garden bamboo suppliers like Crocus and YouGarden.
Also, check out Amazon bamboo suppliers.
When to harvest bamboo shoots?
New shoots can be harvested for culinary uses.
There is approximately a three-year lead time before the edible bamboo plants reach harvestable growths.
Thereafter the plants will continue to produce new shoots every spring and throughout summer.
This will continue for the 60-80 years lifespan of the bamboo plant.
Bamboo shoot nutrition facts
Image credit: @kindabluntish/Twitter