Yesterday, my husband brought home a beautiful bamboo shoot from work!
Freshness is everything when it comes to bamboo shoots!
So I got to work removing the bitterness right away.
Since it was quite large, I peeled it first and then boiled it to remove the bitterness.
I boiled it with rice bran for about an hour, then left it sitting in the cooking liquid for a while.
Since I had gone to all that trouble, I decided to try it plain first!
“Wow! It still has a little bitterness, but it’s delicious!”
Munch, munch.
Yep, so good!
Munch, munch, munch…
Then, after a little while, my legs started to itch.
When I looked, they were covered in raised hives!
I did a little research and learned that bamboo shoots contain a substance called histamine, and apparently eating too much of it can trigger hives in some people…
I had no idea!
In fact, there are quite a few foods that contain high levels of histamine or histamine-like substances.
Foods High in Histamine or Similar Compounds
- Fish and shellfish or meat that is no longer very fresh
- Dried fish, ham, and sausages
- Cheese
- Spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, avocados, and bamboo shoots
- Chocolate
- Wine and beer
- Eggs
- Milk and dairy products
- Dried fruit
- Buckwheat
- And more
There are also foods that may promote the release of histamine, including bananas, kiwifruit, pineapple, and nuts.
If you are prone to allergic reactions, it may be worth being careful not to consume too much of these foods.
I had already been careful with the foods I knew about, but bamboo shoots were completely new to me.
But is histamine actually a bad thing?
Not at all.
Histamine is a biologically active substance involved in processes such as nerve signaling, so it is actually essential for the body.
Histamine and its precursors are also known to be involved in various physiological functions, including supporting disease prevention, stress resistance, resistance to fatigue, weight regulation, and increased physical activity.
Histamine also plays an important role in maintaining wakefulness in the brain and is thought to be involved in learning ability.
That said, I don’t particularly enjoy getting itchy!
So I’ll continue to be mindful of how much histamine-rich food I eat.
Thank you, as always, for reading. 😊