Mesu is a traditional fermented bamboo shoot pickle. It has sour-acidic taste with typical flavour. In the Limboo dialect, ‘me’ means young bamboo shoot and ‘su’ means sour, the word Mesu is directly derived from the Limboo dialect (Tamang, 1998b).

Young shoots of some common edible bamboos such as Dendrocalamus sikkimensis Gamble, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees and Arnott, Bambusa tulda Roxb., etc. are chopped finely and pressed tightly into a bamboo vessel and fermented under natural anaerobic condition for 7-15 days (Fig 6).

Fig. 6. Flow sheet of traditional method of Mesu preparation.

Mesu pickle mixed with oil, chilies and salt in a closed jar can be kept for several months.

Mesu is sold in few local periodical markets, mostly in rainy season, when bamboo shoots are plenty. It is sold with green bamboo vessel, each costing about Rs.10/-.  

Fermentation is initiated by Pediococcus pentosaceus, followed by Lactobacillus brevis and Lb. plantarum. It has high content of organic acid and low pH with rich mineral contents (Tamang and Sarkar, 1996).

Mesu is similar to naw-mai-dong of Thailand, lung-siej of Meghalaya and soibum of Manipur.