You can often find fresh bamboo shoots in Asian food stores, but they’re not easy to prepare as they’re protected by many layers of overlapping, brown husk covered in fine, sharp hairs.

It is a chewy food that tastes good in soups or as a snack. In Assam, fermented bamboo shoots are a delicacy called khorisa. Use it to give foods a unique tangy flavor in curries, pickles ...