compounds from the fresh shoots by boiling
them in water until they’re no longer bitter.
Along with Chinese water chestnuts and lotus
root, bamboo shoots are valued for the ability
to retain their firm, crisp, meaty texture
during and after cooking, and even after the
extreme heat treatment of canning (p. 283).
Their flavor has an unusual medicinal or
barnyard note thanks to cresol, as well as
more common bready and brothy aromas from
simple sulfur compounds (methional,
dimethyl sulfide).
Hearts of Palm Hearts of palm are the
growing stem tips of various palm trees,
especially the South American peach palm
Bactris gasipaes, which readily resprouts after
its tip is cut. The tissue is fine-grained and
crisp, with a sweet and slightly nutty taste,
and is eaten both raw and cooked. Hearts of
other palms may have a bitter edge and a
tendency to brown discoloration; and their