Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots)

Fact-checked on paper only. This recipe has not been cooked or tested yet.

Why this works

Traditional menma uses lacto-fermented bamboo shoots. Because those are hard to find outside Japan, home recipes use pre-boiled shoots instead, and the result lacks the signature crunch and taste of the fermented kind [Just One Cookbook]. This is that quick version, and we say so plainly.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups (6 to 8 bowls) Times: prep PT5M, cook PT30M, total PT8H35M (ISO 8601)

Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Airtight container

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz, about 1 1/2 cups sliced) pre-boiled bamboo shoots, drained
• 240 ml (1 cup) water, or chicken stock or dashi
• 45 ml (3 Tbsp) soy sauce
• 30 ml (2 Tbsp) mirin
• 30 ml (2 Tbsp) sake
• 10 g (2 tsp) sugar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) toasted sesame oil

Steps

1. Rinse the shoots and slice into strips about 5 mm wide and 5 cm long.
2. Combine the liquid, soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a saucepan and add the shoots. Boil, then drop to a gentle simmer.
3. Simmer uncovered about 25 to 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
4. Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil.
5. Move to an airtight container with the liquid and chill overnight.

What to watch for

• Liquid reducing too fast: add a splash of water and lower the heat.
• Bland shoots: simmer longer or rest longer in the liquid.

Storage

• Refrigerate in the liquid and use within 1 week [Just One Cookbook].
• Freezing for up to 1 month is supported by the same source; texture may soften.

Allergens: Soy, wheat (soy sauce), sesame.

Pairs with

Shoyu and miso bowls, next to chashu and nori.

Sources

1. Just One Cookbook, quick menma (traditional menma is lacto-fermented; fridge up to 1 week): https://www.justonecookbook.com/quick-menma-recipe/

Citation links

• https://www.justonecookbook.com/quick-menma-recipe/