An introduction to the integral role that bamboo and rattan play in the lives of South-East Asian peoples - as raw materials, food, medicines and in ceremonies and beliefs.

Bamboo and rattan play such a vital role in so many spheres of Asian life that it is hard to imagine the region without them. Bamboo is essential in a range of courtship, birth and death rituals, and when the hollow cane is filled with rattan, it has manifold uses in local agriculture, fishing, hunting and building. Quoting folktales and poetry, this illustrated study also considers the natural history of bamboo and rattan, and their use in cooking, medicine and handicrafts.