Sugar cane
is used as an ingredient in Vietnamese dishes, such as Chao Tom--grilled shrimp paste wrapped around sugar cane. You can also eat it alone, as a treat, in place of candy or gum. Sugar cane grows in long, jointed stalks, similar to bamboo. The plant has a hard outer rind, which you will need to remove prior to eating. The rind is actually fairly easy to remove; all you need is a cheap chef's knife.
Instructions
1. Use the chef's knife to chop the sugar cane into pieces no more than 6 inches long. Remove and discard any joints.
2. Stand the sugar cane on end on the cutting board and place the edge of the knife at the edge of the rind--where the rind meets the pulp.
3. Press firmly, to embed the knife into the sugar cane. Lift the knife--the cane should remain attached to the knife--and drive the knife straight down in one swift motion to cut through the rind.
4. Peel the piece of rind away and repeat the same knife motion all the way around the piece of sugar cane.
5. Follow Steps 2 through 4 on any remaining pieces of sugar cane.
Tags: sugar cane, chef knife, sugar cane