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Vegetables · Fermented vegetables

Fermented bamboo shoot

Young bamboo shoots fermented until sour and pungent; the defining flavour of many North-East Indian dishes.

Also called: khorisa, soibum, bastenga, mesu, ekung, hiyup, tama, fermented bamboo

Around the world: খৰিচা (as) · तामा (ne)

A kind of bamboo shoots

1 recipe with it

What it is

Tender bamboo shoots sliced or grated and left to ferment in their own juices, sometimes packed in bamboo tubes or pits, for weeks. They become sour, pale yellow and strongly aromatic. Known as khorisa in Assam, soibum in Manipur, bastenga in Nagaland, ekung or hiyup in Arunachal Pradesh and tama in Nepal and Sikkim; sold wet in jars or dried.

Shoots of Bambusa, Dendrocalamus and related species, fermented

How it’s used

  • Pounded into chutneys with roasted chilli and tomato
  • Cooked with pork, fish or chicken (Naga and Assamese curries)
  • Added to eromba and kangshoi in Manipur
  • Cooked with potato and black-eyed beans in Nepali alu tama

Characteristics

Taste
Sharply sour and funky, with a fermented, slightly cheesy aroma.
Aroma
Pungent and strong when raw; it mellows with roasting or cooking.
Texture
Firm and slightly crunchy, softening with long cooking.
When cooked
Holds its shape in curries; dry-roasting reduces its smell and moisture.
Sold as
fermented, dried
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep jars sealed in the fridge after opening and use within a month; dried shoots keep for months in an airtight container.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Raw fresh bamboo shoots contain cyanogenic compounds that fermentation and boiling remove; never eat fresh shoots raw.
  • Discard if mouldy or putrid-smelling rather than sour.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
27 kcal
Protein
2.6 g
Carbohydrate
5.2 g
Fat
0.3 g
Fibre
2.2 g
Sugars
3 g

USDA FoodData Central: Bamboo shoots, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Bamboo shoots — Canned shoots plus a squeeze of lemon approximate the sourness, without the funk.

Related ingredients

Recipes with fermented bamboo shoot