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Aroy Mak Mak

Bamboo Shoots

หน่อไม้

Nor mai: crunchy shoots used fresh in curries and fermented in sour dishes.

Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo shoots are the young shoots of the bamboo plant, harvested in the rainy season. They are crunchy and absorb curry beautifully, and in the north and northeast they are also fermented until sour.

Pronunciationnor mai
FlavourMild, sweet and crunchy; sour when fermented
Used inRed and green curries, gaeng nor mai, sup nor mai, gaeng lueang
SubstituteTinned bamboo shoots, rinsed well

Fresh and sour

  • Fresh or boiled shoots (nor mai sod): added to red curry with chicken or duck, green curry and jungle curry.
  • Sour fermented shoots (nor mai dong): used in southern sour curries and gaeng lueang, and in northern soups.
  • Shredded shoots: the base of sup nor mai, an Isaan salad with herbs, toasted rice and yanang leaf juice.

Preparing them safely

Raw bamboo shoots contain compounds that are toxic until cooked. Fresh shoots must be peeled and boiled for at least 20 minutes before use. Tinned and vacuum-packed shoots are already cooked; rinse them well to remove the tinny taste.

Buying and storing

Vacuum-packed whole or shredded shoots from Thai grocers taste much better than tinned. Once opened, keep them covered in water in the fridge, changing the water daily, for up to a week.

Cook’s tip

Blanch tinned bamboo shoots in boiling water for 2 minutes before adding them to a curry. It removes most of the canned flavour.

More Vegetables

All Vegetables

Recipes with Bamboo Shoots