The Food & Use Of Bamboo In So Many Ways!

by Jimmy
(Chiang Mai, Thailand)

Bamboo, which is the largest member of the grass family can grow up to a foot per day. people eat it, use it to build houses, furniture, and even hammocks!.

The hilltribe people split a piece of bamboo and flatten it then use as wall, floor, bed, bridge or scaffolding. At one hilltribe village I saw bamboo used even as a water canal!.

From an old furniture maker in Hang Dong, near Chiang Mai l learned the secrets to preserve bamboo from insects. There are myths that if you cut the bamboo on a moonless night the bugs won't attack it later. rubbish he said!.

I even visited a bamboo homestay near Chiang Mai that the owner designed and built himself and has a collection of bamboo items from all over the world.

Fermented bamboo curry is delicious, and there is kow lam--sticky rice with beans stuffed into special slim bamboo segments and roasted on a fire.

There is black bamboo, many varieties of green/blue bamboo and the famous golden bamboo. There is even one variety that is not hollow inside. beware of burning bamboo in a campfire. it explodes..........hah hah!.

Last but not least bamboo if kept dry can last for well maybe nearly 100 years. but even in china I looked for antique bamboo crafts. few to be found.

Bamboo is amazing and now they are even making fancy floors from bamboo plantations that are being grown in Thailand and China....If you would like to learn more about Bamboo feel free to email me jneumann69@hotmail.com

P.S. the bamboo house is only 30 minute from Chiang Mai in a very scenic village check out my Chedie School photos here.