Bamboo shoots: From forest staple to fermented health food

Bamboo shoots have been food of the forest, harvested, cooked and preserved by tribal people across India for centuries. Highly seasonal and deeply local, they rarely travelled beyond nearby markets. Today, however, bamboo shoots are finding a new audience. Driven by interest in fermented foods, plant-based diets and traditional nutrition, this forest produce is entering modern Indian kitchens.

Bamboo shoots have been an integral part of food cultures in the Northeast, Eastern India and the Western Ghats.

In Manipur, fermented bamboo shoot (soibum) is part of daily cooking, while in Maharashtra, it is used to prepare bambuchya kombachi bhaji. Assam’s tangy khorisa, Sikkim’s mesu pickle, Arunachal Pradesh’s ekung and Odisha’s bamboo shoot curries reflect regional diversity built around it.

For the tribal people, who largely depend on forests for food, bamboo shoots are not a novelty but a seasonal necessity. Harvested during the monsoon when tender shoots emerge, they are boiled, fermented, dried or pickled to remove bitterness, improve digestibility and ensure year-round availability. These practices represent generations of ecological knowledge tied to forests and food security.

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Foraging and traditional harvesting

Unlike conventional vegetables, bamboo shoots are not widely cultivated as a commercial crop. They are mostly foraged from wild or bamboo groves, often on community lands or forest fringes. Harvesting requires skill because the shoots must be collected before they harden into woody bamboo. They are an integral part of tribal food in various regions of India.

In parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, tribal families harvest them collectively during the monsoon and sell surplus in local haats.

Fresh shoots are highly perishable and must be processed within hours, which has limited their reach beyond local markets. Now fermentation has emerged as the most effective preservation method, as it also creates distinctive flavours. Bamboo shoot pickles are widely available now.

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Tribal cooperatives enter the market

In recent years, tribal cooperatives and self-help groups have started processing bamboo shoots on a small scale. In Manipur and Assam, women-led groups ferment, clean and package bamboo shoots for sale under small regional brands.

These products are increasingly supplied to speciality stores and Northeast-focused restaurants in Delhi, Bengaluru and Guwahati.

Similarly, in Odisha’s tribal districts, bamboo shoot processing is being explored as a value-added livelihood under the government’s forest produce initiatives. While volumes remain small, these efforts help communities earn more than raw forest sales.

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Health benefits of bamboo shoots

Nutritionally, bamboo shoots tick many health benefit boxes. They are healthy foods as they are low in calories and fat, yet rich in dietary fibre, potassium, calcium, antioxidants and plant protein. They also contain bioactive compounds linked to improved digestion and good heart health.

Fermented bamboo shoots improve nutrient absorption and introduce probiotic bacteria. This has led to global interest in the use of bamboo shoots for gut health.

Research has highlighted their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, reinforcing what traditional diets have long practised.

In an era of lifestyle diseases and ultra-processed foods, bamboo shoots stand out as a minimally processed, fibre-rich, plant-based option.

From haat to high-end stores

Traditionally, bamboo shoots were available only in local markets during the monsoon. Even today, fresh shoots are largely seasonal and regional. What has changed is the form and audience.

Bamboo shoots are now commonly seen in Northeast Indian and pan-Asian restaurants, and increasingly in chef-driven regional Indian kitchens. Some supermarkets and gourmet stores stock boiled, canned or fermented bamboo shoots, often sourced from the Northeast.

Speciality food sellers, organic stores and even major online marketplaces sell packaged bamboo shoot products.

Despite India having one of the world’s largest bamboo resources, food-grade bamboo shoot processing remains niche. The overall bamboo economy is estimated at Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 crore, but edible bamboo products account for only a small fraction, suggesting untapped potential.

Scaling bamboo shoots as a mainstream food is challenging because of its short harvest window, high perishability and forest access regulations. Yet, as interest is growing in fermented foods, sustainable forest produce and indigenous diets, bamboo shoots are gaining culinary and nutritional legitimacy. Farmer collectives, tribal cooperatives and food entrepreneurs are slowly bridging forest traditions and urban demand.

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture.)

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