Menma Recipe: How to Make Seasoned Bamboo Shoots

Menma is the Japanese term for “seasoned, thinly sliced bamboo shoots,” famously found in ramen. Most packaged menma comes from China and Taiwan, so menma is also known as shinachiku, or “Chinese bamboo.”

Making menma involves rehydrating dried, fermented strips of bamboo shoots. The rehydrated bamboo then gets simmered in a variety of stocks or sauces, from tare to chashu sauce, or a simple mixture of sesame oil, shoyu (soy sauce), sugar, and salt.

There are a few popular ways to enjoy this simple, flavorful Japanese condiment, including:

1. 1. As a ramen topping: Menma is most commonly served atop noodle soups, where it provides textural contrast and a mild sweetness to the ramen noodles and savory broth.
2. 2. As a stir-fry: Stir-fried menma is equally at home with crispy fried rice and mixed vegetables as it is on its own, drizzled with toasted sesame oil and topped with sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallion, and if you prefer, la-yu chili oil.
3. 3. With rice: Serve menma and various other tsukemono (Japanese pickles) as a simple side dish with freshly steamed rice.

Menma has a slight sweetness and a subtle, chewy texture. Here’s how to make menma at home:

1. 1. Rehydrate dried shoots and rinse fresh bamboo shoots. You can find prepared menma, as well as dried and canned bamboo shoots, in Asian grocery stores. To make your own menma, remember to first rehydrate the dried shoots in hot water.
2. 2. Add a variety of flavorings to the dashi. Add briny umami flavor with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), and experiment with different levels of sweetness, whether from mirin (sweet rice wine), brown or white sugar, or teriyaki and oyster sauce.
3. 3. Store menma in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using your homemade menma, allow it to marinate overnight. Store it in its soaking liquid, and use it up within one week.