When it rains once, the ground splits on its own and creates a path. Bamboo shoots grow noticeably in those gaps even overnight. This is why people in ancient times used the phrase ‘rain after rain’ as a symbol of change and creation. Bamboo shoots are not plants that only grow quickly, but are a food ingredient that is full of preparation and explosion, growing in the ground for a long time and springing up all at once when the time is right.
◇ Vegetables that reduce body heat
In Oriental medicine, bamboo shoots are considered to be slightly cold in nature and have a sweet yet slightly bitter taste. In Donguibogam, it is recorded that bamboo shoots are cold in nature, sweet in taste, and non-poisonous, so they help stop indigestion, promote urination, relieve heat, and help circulation of energy. It is also said in the herbal medicine that young bamboo shoots are helpful in treating insomnia, eliminating stuffiness, clearing the eyes, and promoting detoxification and intestinal function.
Because of these properties, old medical books treated bamboo shoots as an ingredient that brings down energy that surges upward in the body, such as coughing due to lung heat, heartburn due to stomach heat, and constipation due to intestinal heat. However, it is said that bamboo shoots can chill the stomach and excite energy, so eating too much should be avoided, and it is better for people with poor digestion or a weak stomach to eat less.
Interestingly, there is a passage in which old medical books viewed bamboo shoots as food that enters the stomach, lungs, and large intestine, which also fits the explanation of modern nutrition. Given that the stomach is the first gateway through which food enters, the lungs are where energy spreads, and the large intestine is the passage through which waste is expelled, the expression that bamboo shoots rule over these three channels simultaneously is a condensation of the basic principle of health: ‘eating well, circulating well, and expelling well.’
In fact, bamboo shoots are known to be a low-calorie, low-fat food and rich in dietary fiber. Bamboo shoots are low in calories (about 20-30 kcal per 100g) and rich in dietary fiber, which helps keep you feeling full for a long time. It is also known to be effective in preventing constipation by increasing beneficial bacteria in the intestines and improving digestive function.
To be more specific, 100g of bamboo shoots contain about 10-15% dietary fiber, of which insoluble dietary fiber, which is highly effective in improving constipation, accounts for most. Insoluble dietary fiber is known to attract moisture, increase the volume of stool, stimulate intestinal cells, promote intestinal motility, and is also effective in excreting waste products such as heavy metals.
It is also important to note that it is high in potassium. Bamboo shoots contain a large amount of potassium, which is known to help improve high blood pressure by helping excrete sodium from the body. It is also said to be effective in relieving fatigue as it is rich in ingredients such as tyrosine, glutamic acid, choline, and vitamins B and C. It is also known to contain antioxidants such as flavonoids and iron and folic acid, which are helpful in preventing aging and producing red blood cells.
In particular, the white powder of bamboo shoots, or tyrosine crystals, are known to act as precursors for neurotransmitters and are involved in increasing concentration and motivation. The expression that ancient people used to say that eating bamboo shoots “clears the mind” was not just a metaphor. When your body becomes lighter, your thoughts become lighter, and when your intestines are empty, your mind becomes empty - this is the core of herbal medicine, which states that food affects the mind.
◇ The reason why you need to boil it because of oxalic acid
Bamboo shoots require wisdom to handle, as their properties are clear. Bamboo shoots contain oxalic acid, so they must be boiled before use to reduce astringency and irritation. In the old recipe, boiling rice in water and soaking it in water for a long time was also a wisdom in adjusting the properties of nature to suit the human body.
In our food culture, bamboo shoots have deeply permeated our daily lives in various forms such as bamboo shoot rice, bamboo shoot stew, and bamboo shoot greens. In particular, the tradition of cooking bamboo shoots and meat together can be seen as a 'design for the body' that goes beyond a simple combination of flavors in that the warm meat complements the cold bamboo shoots to balance yin and yang.
Bamboo shoots were also used as spiritual symbols. The way it silently cultivates its strength underground and then rises up at the right time was said to resemble the virtue of a noble man, and the anecdote about King Maengjong finding bamboo shoots in the snow to support his mother is said to be a symbol of filial piety.
◇ Bamboo shoot cooking according to Sun Tzu’s Art of War
The chapter on ‘Operation’ in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War simply and clearly states the most important things in war.
Don't take too long, don't waste anything, and finish it quickly.
If the war continues, military supplies will be depleted, the people will be exhausted, and the country will collapse on its own. This means that victory and defeat are determined not on the battlefield, but already at the preparation and operation stages.
Compare this principle to bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots take a long time to prepare in the ground, but when the time comes, they spring up at once. That speed without hesitation is the spirit of ‘quick decision’ that Sun Tzu spoke of. If you wait too long, the bamboo shoots will become tough, but if you harvest them at the right time, they will be the softest. Nature already knows the rules of operation.
From a health perspective, bamboo shoots are a ‘food that does not waste time’. It has a mild nature and a light taste, so it quickly cools down the heat in the body and relieves blocked energy. Not holding on to the fire that has risen for a long time but letting it go right away - this is the 'power not to let it stay', which is the core of the strategy.
Seasoned raw bamboo shoots and vegetables is the food that best demonstrates this principle. This dish, which is boiled and seasoned immediately, reduces unnecessary steps and preserves fresh energy. The crunchy texture instantly relieves the frustration accumulated in your body. The principle is that the simpler the strategy, the stronger it is. Do not boil it for too long or make it complicated.
Bamboo shoot rice is a food that is cooked with rice so that the clear energy of the bamboo shoots permeates the entire rice. It is the same principle as concentrating troops in one place and gathering strength as one rather than playing separately.
Bamboo shoots eaten as a salad are not different from Sun Tzu's principle of achieving great results with little cost in that they produce clear effects without burdening the body by minimizing oil and heat.
Stir-fry cooking involves frying bamboo shoots with meat or mushrooms to neutralize the cold nature and deepen the flavor. It is an operation of alliance and cooperation, filling each other's shortcomings rather than trying to solve everything alone.
Steaming is a method of cooking with gentle heat that takes time but does not waste time. Although it appears slow on the outside, detailed changes occur internally, making it similar to preparations that are already completed in an invisible place.
Canned bamboo shoots are less fresh, but have the advantage of storage and distribution, playing a role in securing supply routes for war. However, convenience cannot replace essence. No matter how well you store it, it cannot reach the vitality of freshly grown bamboo shoots, which is similar to Sun Tzu's warning, 'Do not let the form overcome the essence.'
◇ Foods that relieve buildup
Our bodies are no different from war. Illness begins as it accumulates. Heat accumulates, waste accumulates, and emotions accumulate. Bamboo shoots are a food that relieves this accumulation. It moves the intestines, helps excretion, reduces fever, and puts the mind at ease. This is why after eating, my body feels lighter and my thoughts become clearer.
To ancient people, bamboo shoots were delicious spring vegetables and nature's teacher of timing and speed. If it's too early, it won't ripen, and if it's too late, it will already harden. Life and health both lose their original power if you miss the timing.
Sun Tzu spoke of war, but its essence lies in life. Don't drag it on for too long, don't hold on to what needs to be thrown away, let it flow. A plate of bamboo shoots speaks for itself. Eating bamboo shoots is not just about enjoying the taste of the season, it is about regaining the pace of life.
