Spicy, crunchy bamboo shoots β the ideal palate cleanser in-between bites of ramen.
TheΒ π in the title means this recipe is part of the Hideout ramen series, not a standalone dish!
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Big disclaimer first: Actual menma, or sΗnsΔ« in Chinese, tastes a little different. The bamboo shoots used in the Hideout recipe are what I was able to find in Europe. I suppose I could be drying and lacto-fermenting bamboo shoots at home, but that’s a bit much even for me. This is why I sought out an alternative way to prepare it, and found this approach by Sudachi Recipes that I ended up making numerous times.
Depending on the chili powder used, this ramen topping can pack quite a bit of spice. I personally use spicy cayenne chili powder, which I highly recommend if you enjoy some heat.
Recipe credit
Like most of my recipes, I started this one out by basing it largely on an existing one, specifically the Sudachi Menma recipe. I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.
Menma π
Ingredients
- 200 g canned bamboo shoots pre-sliced, drained weight
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder desired spiciness
- 180 ml water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 0.5 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder
Instructions
- Open up and drain the can of bamboo slices.
- Add half the toasted sesame oil to a small pan, heat up over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the sliced bamboo shoots.
- Sprinkle with black pepper and chili powder and stir to distribute.
- After one minute, add the water, soy sauce, sake, mirin, oyster sauce, and chicken stock powder. Mix well.
- Simmer uncovered until there is no liquid left.
- Turn off the heat and drizzle the other half of the toasted sesame oil on the bamboo shoots. Mix well.
- Once cool, they're ready to distribute and serve as a ramen topping. Alternatively, transfer the menma to a container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
