Labong is a Filipino vegetable common in rural areas but not very common in the cities. Labong is the bamboo shoot, the young bamboo stalks that are not yet tough and are still edible. Our Asian neighbors are also fond of this young bamboo and the bamboo shoot can be found on several Asian recipes. It can be pickled, or just stir-fried with pork.
I always associated Labong (Bamboo Shoots) with Ilocano Food. My Ilocano father (who avoided coconut cream like a plague) would always volunteer to cook when there’s Labong in the house, and so it was always Dinengdeng na Labong na May Saluyot and Pritong Isda. My mother, a Southern Tagalog belle by heart never cooked much when my father is around. So I wasn’t really exposed to Ginataang Labong until later in life. Which is weird since I grew up under the palm of coconut fronds, so to speak.
Anyway, to make the long story short, our neighbor brought these fresh labong over and since we happened to have shrimps, I decided to make Ginataang Labong With Shrimps.
Unlike the canned ones, fresh labong is a bit hard to prepare. Bamboo shoots require skilled care as they contain may toxins and are quite bitter if not prepared properly. First, you have to cut them really thin. (I used a mandoline slicer) Then you have to leave it on the water to soak overnight. The next day, you will have to boil it and then squeeze it dry. All these to remove the “dagta” or bitter sap. You can probably skip the overnight soaking but that’s how my mom did it, and haven’t questioned it.
If you’re looking for something different to serve on your table, try this Filipino labong recipe. It’s hearty dish, creamy, and straightforward that comes together easily for busy families.
Best of all, its complexity of flavors—from the bamboo shoots, shrimp, coconut, and saluyot leaves—deliver intense taste satisfactions. After a long day, this warming comfort food soothes both body and soul.
Ginataang Labong With Shrimps
Ingredients
Preparation
- 1 cup labong or bamboo shoots sliced thinly
- 3 cups of water
For Main Cooking Part
- sliced red onions
- several cloves garlic, minced
- thumb-sized piece ginger, minced
- 1/2 kilogram shrimps, cleaned
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup or 1 can (400ml) coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
- 1/2 cup saluyot leaves
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Boil about 3 cups of water over medium heat and let simmer the bamboo shoots for at least 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Squeeze the water out then set the bamboo shoots aside.
- In a pan, heat a small amount of cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic, onions, and ginger. Saute until soft and fragrant.
- Next add the shrimp and quickly mix until it has changed color, add the coconut milk and water.
- Once simmering, add the cooked bamboo shoots and fish sauce then mix.
- Cover the pan and allow this to simmer for about 10 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Once the coconut milk has reduced to the desired sauce consistency remove the pot from the heat.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Add the saluyot leaves and let cook for about a minute or just until the leaves are wilted.
- Turn off heat and serve with rice.
