FOOD COMPOSITIONS OF SOME THAI BAMBOO SHOOTS

Abstract

Shoots of some edible Thai bamboos were collected from the natural forests in the north, the northeast, and the south of Thailand for their food composition analyses. They are conducted by the laboratories of the Food Division under the Department of Medical Sciences. The analyses were followed those standard methods of FAO (1972)-Food Composition Table For Use In East Asia. The results were tabulated. Compositions of some other vegetables and foods i.e. those of cabbage, cucumber, rice, egg, pork, and beef were also quoted and tabulated for comparision. The results showed that the nutritional values of the bamboo shoots are comparable to those of many vegetables. However, one of the greatest merits of the bamboo shoots is for they can be collected freely of charge by the poor rural people for their own daily consumption from the near by forests or from their own bamboo groves if they have in their own living areas. The bamboos produce a tremendous number of shoots during the raining season.