Sugar Cane Questions

[Anna N]

Kerry Beal and I were in an Asian grocery store yesterday where she spotted this:

She grabbed a package for each of us. Now we would like to know:

What are the skinny threads to the right?

What is its shelf-life unopened?

Should it be refrigerated?

What would you use it for?

Many thanks. Anna N

[Kerry Beal]

By the way - it was labelled as Bamboo Sugar Cane.

[thirtyoneknots]

I buy it from the Mexican grocery on occasion to use in the smoker (along with hickory and pecan woods) when making tasso and andouille. It is supposedly traditional, and though I've never done a side by side comparison it does seem to add something.

As for using it for food, I've only heard of chewing on it as a snack or drink garnish. No doubt there are other things though.

[liuzhou]

I live in the centre of the world's biggest sugar cane plantations here in southern China. (Well, they tell me it's the biggest.)

What is in your picture seems to be 鱼腥草 (yúxīng cǎo) which literally translates as “fish smell grass” - aka lizard's tail, chameleon plant, heartleaf, or fishwort. This is also native to this region. It is usually served in a chili sauce as an appetizer. I have no idea why they would include it in a bunch of sugar cane.

Edited May 3, 2012 by liuzhou (log)

[Chris Amirault]

IIRC, I've seen a SE Asian sauce that includes these two ingredients with chile....

[HungryC]

I have lived my entire life in Louisiana's sugar producing region. Refrigerated, fresh cane will last a week or so...it sours fairly quickly, but a sniff will tell you when it's going off/beginning to ferment. Sure you can chew it (and the spitting is part of the fun), but split lengthwise into batons, it can be used as a flavorful skewer for grilled meats or seafood. A typical Vietnamese dish, chao tom, involves seasoned shrimp paste formed around cane slivers...here's Andrea Nguyen's recipe.

Have also seen chunks of it boiled in water used to make lightly flavored/sweetened iced tea, as well as chunks in asian soups (though you need to tell unfamiliar diners not to eat it, but to chew & discard).

[Anna N]

Thanks, HungryC, for the link to the recipe. It kept me out of the pool hall all morning and part of the afternoon! There is a definite "yuck" factor and it's a challenge to get the goop to hold fast to the sugar cane. They are quite tasty if a little on the sweet side. I will be serving the remainder to family tomorrow.

Ready to steam.

Out of the steamer.

Grilled and ready to eat.

[HungryC]

Wow--those look so tasty! Glad you liked the recipe; Andrea's website & cookbooks are great resources.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

The other thing you can do is cut the canes in half, hollow them out somewhat (save the hollowings, obviously) and then fill the cavities with coconut-curry shrimp and peanuts, then bake or bbq-oven them until the shrimp is cooked. This is very, very yum.