And the people of northeast India have found unique ways to champion the grass’s properties.
1. Bamboo Drip Irrigation For the past 200 years, tribal farmers residing in the Khasi and Jaintia hills have used bamboo to make pipes for an effective drip irrigation system.
Through this, almost 18 to 20 litres of water enter the bamboo pipe per minute. This is then used by the farmers to water their betel nut and black pepper crops.
The pipe is constructed by splitting a bamboo column in half, then smoothing it using a dao (local chisel).
Different adjoining pipes also allow for diverting water from the same system to different villages.
2. Jaapi The conical hat is vibrant in colour and makes for a beautiful prop for the dancers who perform during the Bihu festival.
Made from tightly woven bamboo and tokou paat (palm leaves), the hat plays an important role. It is worn by farmers who work in paddy fields in the hot sun.
3. Bamboo Shoot This simple ingredient adds a punch of flavour to authentic dishes cooked in the region. It can be consumed fresh, dried, fermented or turned into a pickle or a curry.
The bamboo shoot, which emerges in the spring season, is best harvested when it is a foot or so tall.
The hardened covers are removed to obtain a cream coloured shoot which can be sliced into thin pieces and dried or stored in brine with some chopped red chillies.
4. Bamboo Tumblers In the Lepa Rada District of Arunachal Pradesh, the people of Basar town brew rice beer or ‘poka’ and serve it in bamboo tumblers to visitors.
These bamboo tumblers are also used in the annual Basar Confluence, a tribal festival in the town, as a sustainable alternative to plastic cups.
5. Bamboo hollows for cooking In the northeast of India, a popular dish is the sunga saul (a sticky rice cooked in a bamboo column).
Bamboo hollows have long been stuffed with rice or meat (wrapped in plantain leaves), which is later cooked on coal embers. The smoke from the burnt bamboo gives a special taste to the dishes.