Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

Ingredient Name: Bamboo (dried), dried bamboo sticks

Chinese Name: 竹 (Zhú)

Dried bamboo is not a common ingredient found in Chinese soups.  You will more often find cooked and edible bamboo in stews, dishes, soups and dim sum.

• A type of perennial evergreens in the true grass family
• Used in Asia and South East Asia as a food source, building material or a raw product
• Tall, flexible plants that grow to various heights depending on the breed of bamboo
  
• The edible portions are normally the shoots (newly coming out of the ground) and found in dishes, stews and soups
• The dried bamboos are not often used in an edible format, but used to boil drinks, soups etc….
  

How do I prepare it?

• Rinse dried bamboo in warm water

Where can I buy this?

• Available in fresh marts in Hong Kong
• Also sometimes available your at your herbalist

What is the cost?

• A bag as picture above cost around $5 HKD

Any benefits?

• Has a naturally sweet taste and is a low-calorie source for potassium
• Used in Chinese medicine to treat infections and helps with healing

Any precautions?

• Dried bamboo are not edible – so be sure to properly strain your herbal teas or drinks

Any substitutes?

• Sugar cane is a good substitute for dried bamboo (especially when boiling drinks or herbal teas)