Comparative Study on Quality and Palatability of Rhizome Shoot of Phyllostachys prominens and Phyllostachys edulis

Phyllostachys prominens with high potential of rhizome shoot production and strong elongation growth of rhizome is an excellent bamboo species used both for shoot and timber. The appearance quality, the contents of nutrient substances, flavour substances and amino acid in rhizome shoot of Ph. prominens were compared with the rhizome shoot of Ph. edulis to access the quality and palatability. The results are as follows. 1. The length of Ph. prominens rhizome shoot was slightly longer; 2. The individual weight, shoot diameter and contents of protein, tannin, oxalic acid, total acid, cellulose, lignin of Ph. prominens rhizome shoot were significantly lower than that of the Ph. edulis; 3. The edible rate, ratio of sugar to acid, contents of soluble sugar and fat of Ph. prominens rhizome shoot were obviously higher; 4. The content of total amino acid and its components except delicious amino acid in Ph. prominens rhizome shoot were dramatically lower, while the proportion of delicious, sweet and aromatic amino acid in Ph. prominens rhizome shoot were markedly higher than that of Ph. edulis; 5. The bitter amino acid proportion in Ph. prominens rhizome shoot was significantly lower than that of Ph. edulis. All the results indicated that there were significantly differences on rhizome shoot quality and palatability between Ph. prominens and Ph. edulis. The rhizome shoot of Ph. prominens with high edible rate and low roughness was relatively larger and more palatable. Overall, the rhizome shoot quality of Ph. prominens was better than that of Ph. edulis.