For the holidays–or any time of year really– the professional chef and the everyday home cook need the right tools to make great meals. For chopping, slicing and what ever other prep chores need to be done, a quality cutting board is an absolute must in the kitchen. While mom’s cutting board may have been made of the sturdiest of hardwoods– maple, cherry or even walnut–over time, it warped, cracked and even retained and grew food borne bacteria. Yes, typical cutting boards have had many, and distressing, problems.
Bamboo Is The Material Of Choice
Enter the bamboo cutting board. Bamboo is currently the material of choice for moms and restaurateurs alike. Contrary to popular belief, bamboo is exceptionally hard and strong, but it is not a hard wood. It does not come from a tree that takes 25 to 30 years to mature, but, rather, it is a fast growing, long bladed grass that takes just a fraction of the time that maple or cherry wood requires to grow to maturity and be harvest ready. Interestingly, bamboo does not even have to be replanted after it is harvested because its unique root system continuously grows viable shoots.
Benefits Of Bamboo
As such, bamboo has become the eco-friendly and sustainable choice for manufacturers of fine cutting boards. Unlike other natural and synthetic materials, bamboo is relatively light, very dense and super easy to maintain. Used as a cutting board, bamboo naturally resists the swelling, warping and cracking issues that other materials experience. A cook can just rinse it with hot water and wipe it dry with a soft cotton dish towel. Bamboo resists stains exceptionally well and does not hold the colors or acids that fruits such as tomatoes and blueberries give off. In addition, bamboo does not retain meat juices. A cook can expect it to perform well with each and every use.
Variety Of Options
Bamboo cutting boards come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles such as serving boards, crumb boards and sandwich boards. Considering their beauty, utility and longevity, they are an outstanding addition to anyone’s stock of kitchen tools and. Bamboo is cost-sparing, too, making it appropriate for any budget.