Never have I felt so much like a panda as when I lowered some bamboo shoot into my mouth. OK. So pandas don't use chopsticks, and their bamboo isn't pickled in salt and MSG, but still... I don't feel like a panda very often.
These shoots remain a bit of a mystery since the only recipes I could find called for fresh bamboo shoots or at the very least, unpickled ones. The only thing I can think to do with them is add them to some sort of stir fry or fried rice dish. My first move, however, was to try them on their own. The long, soggy strand tasted most powerfully like MSG. The texture and what I could make of the inherent taste of the plant were reminiscent of baby corn. Although the high salt and MSG content of my “crispy seasoned” shoots undoubtedly affects their nutritional value, a cup of bamboo shoots on their own provide 10% of daily fiber needs and 18% of daily potassium, which “helps to maintain normal blood pressure and a steady heartbeat.1” These nutritional bonuses and their low calorie content make bamboo shoots “ideal for: weight loss” and “optimum health.2” So, while they haven’t reached the status of milk, bamboo shoots are an excellent candidate for the next “perfect food” craze. I can picture the ads now: “great for your heart, an excellent source of fiber, with that tangy crunch you love!” The narrator shouts this at us while we watch a fit young person and a cute panda share a good munch on some fresh young shoots.
I may be too cynical here, seeing as fiber and potassium are both important nutrients for a healthy diet, but after eating my – albeit overly processed – bamboo shoots, I can’t get too excited about such a flavorless food. When it comes down to, no matter how seasoned they are, I’m still eating a giant blade of grass.
No comments:
Post a Comment