When we moved to Dark Creek Farm thirteen years ago, one of the first things we planted was bamboo. Since then we've been experimenting with different varieties and have used our bamboo poles as garden stakes, fencing, supports for row covers, and treehouse railings. We've recently started to harvest and eat our bamboo shoots and can't wait for spring for a fresh crop.
There are many varieties of bamboo, plenty of which grow well even in most climate zones in Canada. If you're looking for some general information about various bamboo varieties check out this pocket guide:
Interested in making flutes? Have a look at this bamboo flute-making website.
We've cooked with bamboo shoots, those that arrive in our kitchen via a tin, for years. But it's only recently that we've started experimenting with harvesting and eating our own. Here's a link to some bamboo recipes. This one sounds really good: Stir-fried Mushrooms with Bamboo Shoots Click here for the recipe. If you try any of these recipes, let me know how they turned out. And, if you already have a favourite recipe, pass it along and I'll post it here on the blog.
If you're the kind of cook who needs to know the nutritional value of anything you consume, here's some information about bamboo shoots.
Still looking for more bamboo info? Try these links:
Bamboo World - in Chilliwack
Golden bamboo
For the adventurous, a Thai recipe
Brochure (pdf) - Preparing and eating bamboo shoots
Interested in making things with bamboo? Have a look at this book:
Missed the segment live? No problem - give Amanda at the CBC a day or two and then check the All Points West website for a link to the archived segment.
Note: If you are reading this on Facebook, you can get back to the rest of the Dark Creek Blog by clicking here.
