Chakma Cooking 101: Bamboo shoots

For most people of Bangladesh, bamboo shoots is something that is considered as a popular food item in China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and other adjacent countries.

But to those who delight in different types of Bangladeshi indigenous food, bamboo shoot is a top delicacy. It is a much loved food item among the indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Different indigenous communities of the country have different names for bamboo shoots. 

The indigenous people of the Chakma community call it ‘Bachchuri’ and usually have it in the form of a curry with rice. They have different kinds of preparation for Bachchuri.

Bamboo shoots are rich in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

This produce generally hits the hill markets during the Bangla month of Baishakh in mid April and it remains available for the next five to six months. The peak season of availability of bamboo shoots is the rainy seasons in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

After collecting the tender bamboo shoots or buying them raw from the markets, they are peeled and then cut into small pieces. Then they are boiled with water and washed again with fresh water to remove the toxin before cooking it in various ways.

They are not only found in the raw form but also in dried and canned forms in the markets abroad.

The people of the Chakma community prefer to cook bamboo shoots with dried shrimps and Sidol, a paste made from various fishes which is found in Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox's Bazar. The boiled bamboo shoots can be cooked with many vegetable dishes, meat items and broths.

Above is a video featuring a few ways of cooking ‘Bamboo Shoots’, the Chakma way.