Bambu Tabah Tabanan

Bambu tabah (Gigantochloa nigrociliata (Buse) Kurz) is one of the local varieties of bamboo that originated in the Tabahan District of Bali. The bamboo plant is lean, and each cluster can be comprised of 30 – 40 rods. The bamboo shoot is edible and has a very crunchy and soft texture with sweet notes. Bambu tabah shoots are mostly (92%) water, but also contain fiber (3%), protein (2.3%), starch (2.7%) and a very small amount of fat.   Bambu tabah can grow in any type of soil and therefore is suitable for land rehabilitation. After the plant reaches three years old, the shoots can be harvested twice per year. Bambu tabah is one of 35 types of bamboo plants in Bali. Not all bamboo plants that have edible shoots because of high levels of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) levels, but this component is low in bamboo tabah.   Older cuttings of the plant are used in a decorative manner in religious ceremonies, while the shoots are used to make traditional dishes such as lawar, of shredded vegetables and spiced grated coconut, and gravy dishes. Compared to other types of bamboo, this variety is crunchier and has a sweet flavor.   If intentionally cultivated, about 500 plants can be grown per hectare, producing 300 kg of bamboo over a six-month period. These days, about 500 – 2000 kg is harvested in the area twice a year. It is mainly grown for home consumption. However, the land in which the bamboo grows is threatened with conversion into construction sites and tourist related developments. It is estimated that about 5% of this land is lost each year in Bali.