Bamboo shoots

How to serve bamboo shoots by age

6 months+

Blended smooth into soft food

Use canned bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed, or fresh shoots that have been fully cooked (see the steps below). Simmer them in the dish, then blend your baby's portion until completely smooth. Bamboo shoots stay firm and fibrous even when cooked, so don't offer strips, chunks or minced pieces yet. Never offer raw or undercooked fresh bamboo shoots.

Size

Blended until completely smooth with a soft food, such as mashed potato, a soup or soft rice porridge. No minced bits yet.

Check before serving

Bamboo shoots won't pass the squash test, so blend until the food is completely smooth, with no bits or strings you can feel between your fingers.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

9 months+

Blended or ground very fine into soft food

Blend cooked bamboo shoots until smooth, or grind them so finely that no hard bits can be felt, and stir them into soft rice, scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced) or soft vegetable dishes. They stay firm and fibrous however long you cook them, so don't leave minced pieces in.

Size

Blended smooth, or ground so fine into a soft food that you can't feel any hard bits or strings. No minced pieces, strips or chunks.

Check before serving

Rub a little of the food between your fingers: you shouldn't feel any firm bits or strings.

12 months+

Blended or ground very fine in family dishes

Blend or grind bamboo shoots very fine into soups, soft stir-fry sauces and dumpling fillings. Take your toddler's portion out before adding soy sauce, chili or other salty sauces. Pick out any whole strips and chunks from family dishes.

Size

Blended or ground very fine into soft family dishes such as soups and dumpling fillings. No minced pieces, strips or chunks.

Check before serving

Rub a little between your fingers: no firm bits or strings.

18 months+

Blended or ground very fine in family meals

Keep blending or grinding bamboo shoots very fine into family meals. They stay crunchy and fibrous and won't squash. The CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Minced pieces, strips and chunks wait until at least age 4 (our suggestion, following the CDC hard-food advice).

Size

Blended or ground very fine into soft family dishes. Minced pieces, strips and chunks: not yet.

Check before serving

Still check family dishes for strips or chunks, which are hard to chew.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare bamboo shoots

1. 1

   Canned bamboo shoots are the simplest choice for babies: FSANZ says canned and dried bamboo shoots are safe because processing reduces the cyanide to safe levels. Drain them and rinse them under running water.

2. 2

   For fresh bamboo shoots, rinse them under running water first, then follow the FSANZ method: cut each shoot in half lengthwise, peel away the outer leaves, trim the fibrous base, slice thinly into strips, and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Throw the cooking water away. FSANZ uses lightly salted water. For your baby's share, our suggestion is plain water: the FSANZ report says slicing releases the cyanide and boiling removes it.

3. 3

   Simmer the cooked or canned shoots in the dish. Don't add salt.

4. 4

   Blend them smooth, or (from 9 months) grind them so fine that no hard bits or strings can be felt. Don't leave minced pieces in. Let the food cool before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a teaspoon or so of blended bamboo shoots mixed into a food your baby already knows. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses bamboo shoots

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Try it blended into foods your baby already enjoys, such as soft rice or mashed vegetables.
• Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
• Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing bamboo shoots

• Keep fresh bamboo shoots in the fridge and cook them soon. Once a can is opened, move any unused shoots into a covered container in the fridge.
• Cooked bamboo shoots keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
• Soups and stews with bamboo shoots can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, use them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
• Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).