The shoots of ten bamboo species of Bangladesh have been tested in respect to
taste, flavour, texture and colour of the edible parts. The shoot colour and shape of
each species were described. The weight of outer cover (sheaths) and internal edible
portions of shoots are more or less same in most the ten bamboo species. Only three
species, Bambusa polymorpha, Melocantia baccifera, and Dendrocalaimis longispathns
were found to produce shoots with somewhat slight bitter to sweet taste and pleasant
flavour a t raw state. Shoots of the remaining seven species B. banibos, B. Longispicidata,
B.vidgaris, B. tidda, D. gigaiiteus, Schizostachyum dullooa, Thyrsostachys oliveri possessed
varying degree of bitterness or astringency. Fairly acceptable taste and easy
availability of shoots of M. baccifera made the species most common bamboo
vegetable for the tribal people of Bangladesh.
In all the species shoots production both by number and weight per clump was
found to increase in the second and third year, if continuously harvested. However,
the shoot production decreased per clump after third to fifth year if the harvesting
continued, and after sixth year of continuous harvest some species even stopped
shoot production. Continuous harvesting of bamboo shoots has been discouraged
and selective harvesting in every year has been advised.