Authors:Singh, K.A
Abstract:Edible bamboo species growing in northeastern India, their nutritional contents, and traditional food products prepared from bamboo shoots are highlighted. Over 50 native bamboo species are being used for edible purpose in large or small quantity in northeastern India. A number of traditional dishes prepared from edible shoots demonstrate the indigenous technical ingenuity required for preservation and fermentation of products. Traditional ways of reducing acridity due to glucocyanides in fresh bamboo shoots were also noticed. Wide variation was observed in the physical characteristics like length, girth, weight of whole shoots and edible portion in 14-day-old harvested shoots of 22 species. Nutrient contents in the dry matter of edible portion showed that crude protein content ranged from 15.1 to 36.1 per cent fat 0.64 to 3.62 per cent, carbohydrate 31.6 to 50.6 per cent, crude fibre 13.4 to 29.8 per cent and calorific value 2.21 to 3.70 cal/g. Mineral contents showed a range of 0.21 to 1.97 per cent for Ca, 0.42 to 1.34 per cent for P and 0.42 to 0.61 per cent for Mg. Micronutrient contents varied from 4.0 to 17.6 ppm for Mn, 5.0 to 24.5 ppm for Fe, 0.6 to 3.5 ppm for Zn, nondetectable to 0.2 ppm for Cu, non-detectable to 0.5 ppm for Co contents
Keywords:bamboos; carbohydrates; crude fibre; crude protein; energy value; fermentation; food products; foods; iron; magnesium; mang