Despite their delicious taste and use in various dishes, fresh bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots, bamboo root, bamboo plants, and cassava roots contain a dangerous amount of cyanide, a deadly poison even in small quantities.
Therefore, care must be taken when preparing bamboo shoots and cassava to remove the toxins. Dishes made from bamboo shoots and cassava are delicious, so you don’t need to worry about toxins if you take proper precautions.
Fresh bamboo shoots and cassava roots are delicious but contain toxins
Why can bamboo shoots and cassava cause fatal poisoning?
Fresh bamboo shoots and cassava roots contain high levels of cyanide, a dangerous poison. Bamboo shoots and cassava naturally contain this substance, not because of anything the seller has done.
Once ingested, cyanide converts into hydrocyanic acid, causing dizziness, nausea, and, in severe cases, cyanosis and respiratory failure. Fresh bamboo shoots have a very high cyanide content, around 230 mg/kg. One kilogram of bamboo shoots contains 230 mg of cyanide, which can kill two children under one year old instantly. Additionally, if you buy soaked bamboo shoots, they may contain chemicals used by the seller to preserve and enhance their color, such as bleach or sulfur.
Cassava comes in sweet and bitter varieties. High-yield bitter cassava has a higher cyanide content. This content is even higher in cassava that has exuded sap.
To remove toxins, soak bamboo shoots and cassava before cooking them
How to prepare bamboo shoots and cassava safely
After purchasing bamboo shoots and cassava, peel them and soak them in clean water or rice water. Soak them for at least 3–4 hours to allow the toxins to leach into the water.
Soaking them in rice water is also an effective way to remove toxins.
Boil bamboo shoots 2–3 times after soaking them before cooking.
After soaking cassava, you can cook it immediately. If you are making dessert or porridge, remove the fibrous core.
When preparing bamboo shoots and cassava, boil thoroughly and leave the lid open to allow toxins to evaporate
When boiling cassava or bamboo shoots, leave the lid open. Toxins evaporate at high temperatures, so leaving the lid open allows any remaining toxins after soaking to evaporate.
If you want to use bamboo shoots in vinegar or salt, soak them in the same way before preparing them.
Precautions for purchasing bamboo shoots
When selecting fresh bamboo shoots, choose ones with a rough shape, uniform size, and straight but not brittle. Avoid shoots with yellowed leaves, wilting, damaged leaves, or spots on the surface. Look for shoots with thin skin.
Discard bamboo shoots that are unusually white or have an odd odor.
If you buy pre-soaked bamboo shoots, check their color. Boil them again when you get home to be safe.
Precautions to avoid poisoning from bamboo shoots and cassava
Bamboo shoots are difficult to digest due to their high fiber content, so the elderly, children, and those who are recovering from illness should avoid them.
Pregnant women should also avoid bamboo shoots to prevent poisoning.
People with kidney disease, stomach pain, and gout should avoid bamboo shoots because the components in bamboo shoots can worsen their condition.
Do not eat bamboo shoots or cassava on an empty stomach, as this increases the risk of poisoning.
Do not combine bamboo shoots with unripe persimmons, as this can cause the fiber to bind and lead to constipation.
When eating cassava, dip it in sugar to reduce the risk of cassava poisoning. Do not overeat cassava, and never eat it raw.
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