The new sprouts of many bamboo species are edible and used as a vegetable in lots of different Asian cuisines. Most species of bamboo are in the Poaceae family of plants. Other plants in this family include barley, corn, durum wheat, lemongrass, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum and wheat.

Like cassava the shoots contain a chemical called cyanogenic glycoside which is toxic if the shoots are cooked before eating.

Bamboo shoots are a low FODMAP food. FODMAP stands for Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Foods high in FODMAPs can cause symptoms of food intolerance, affecting the gastro intestinal system and this can be mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.

Bamboo shoots are a food low in salicylates. Salicylates have the potential to cause gastrointestinal food intolerance symptoms in people who are sensitive to salicylates.

Like other grains, bamboo shoots contain a moderate amount of lectins, another cause of food intolerance. Cooking foods with lectins makes them more digestible and can reduce the symptoms of food intolerance.

You can read more about Food Intolerances on the dedicated Food Intolerance Page.

Other plants in the Poaceae family contain gluten. Bamboo shoots don't and are suitable for coeliacs.

Bamboo shoots are associated with allergic contact dermatitis, especially in those people who pick, pack and process them.

Bamboo shoots are closely related to other Poaceae plants, so if you react to barley, corn, durum wheat, lemongrass, millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum or wheat you may want to avoid eating foods containing bamboo shoots. Read more about Grain Allergens.

These food lists are not exhaustive, the most up to date information is on the Cross Reactivity Tool.

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