perhaps in gardens where kale and turnips
were growing side by side. Like kohlrabi, it’s
a swollen portion of the main stem; like the
turnip, it may be white or yellow. It is sweeter
and starchier than the turnip or kohlrabi,
though still with only half the carbohydrate
content of a potato; it’s often boiled and
mashed.
Tropical Stems: Bamboo Shoots
and Hearts of Palm
Bamboo Shoots Bamboo shoots are the very
young stems of several tropical Asian
bamboos (species of Phyllostachys and
others), which are woody members of the
grass family. As the new shoots begin to break
the soil surface, additional soil is heaped on to
minimize their exposure to light and thereby
their production of bitter cyanide-generating
compounds (p. 258). Cooks and food
manufacturers then eliminate all cyanide