Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 300 g winter bamboo shoots, julienned or thinly sliced
- 20 g dried shrimp
Aromatics
- 20 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
- 10 g fresh ginger, finely julienned
- 10 g garlic, minced
Sauce and Seasoning
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
- 15 ml shaoxing wine
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 3 g granulated sugar
- 45 ml chicken broth
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 256 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 728 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Potassium
- 930 mg
- Calcium
- 78 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 165 mg
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.25 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.15 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 20 mcg
- Water
- 182 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the dried shrimp in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak for 15 minutes to soften. Drain the shrimp, optionally reserving 45ml of the soaking liquid to use instead of chicken broth.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil at 100°C/212°F. Add the sliced bamboo shoots and blanch for 3 minutes to remove bitterness and metallic packaging flavors. Drain well and pat dry.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add the neutral cooking oil, followed by the softened dried shrimp, minced garlic, julienned ginger, and scallion whites. Stir-fry for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
Increase the heat to high. Add the blanched bamboo shoots to the wok and toss continuously for 2 minutes to coat them evenly in the aromatic oil.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the wok. Add the light soy sauce, granulated sugar, and chicken broth or reserved soaking liquid. Simmer vigorously for 3 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed, leaving a glossy coating on the bamboo shoots.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped scallion greens and toasted sesame oil. Toss thoroughly to combine, then transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Reserving the dried shrimp soaking water is a classic culinary technique. It is packed with oceanic umami and serves as a fantastic, deeply flavorful replacement for chicken broth.
- Winter bamboo shoots (dong sun) are preferred over spring shoots for their tender, crisp texture and delicate sweetness. Vacuum-packed versions are a highly reliable year-round alternative to fresh.
- Briefly blanching the bamboo shoots is a non-negotiable step. It breaks down oxalic acid in fresh shoots and removes any unwanted metallic or sour aromas from packaged varieties.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Stir-fry briefly over high heat or microwave in short intervals until hot.
Troubleshooting
Bamboo shoots taste bitter or metallic
Cause: Skipping the blanching step before stir-frying
Fix: Add a small pinch of extra sugar and a drop of black vinegar to help mask the bitterness
Prevention: Always parboil fresh or vacuum-packed bamboo shoots in boiling water for a few minutes before use
Dried shrimp are too chewy
Cause: Insufficient soaking time or water was too cold
Fix: Add a splash of extra water during the simmering step and cover the wok for an additional minute
Prevention: Ensure water is warm to hot, and soak for at least 15 minutes until pliable
Cultural Context
Winter bamboo shoots are highly prized in Eastern Chinese cuisine, particularly in the delicate Jiangnan style of cooking. Pairing them with dried shrimp is a traditional technique where the intense, savory notes of the preserved seafood elevate the earthy, subtle flavor of the fresh bamboo.
