Over the years, I've often mentioned that I was at work on a book on
herbs and spices -- and equally often asked for the help of
participants in the discussions in this group. I received great
information from many of you, and I want to thank you all. While this
is also an opportunity for shameless plugging, I'll try to get it over
with as quickly as possible: my book, The Herbalist in the Kitchen
(University of Illinois Press), is finally out.

Thanks again, everyone!

Gary Allen

Gary > wrote:
> Over the years, I've often mentioned that I was at work on a book
> on herbs and spices -- and equally often asked for the help of
> participants in the discussions in this group. I received great
> information from many of you, and I want to thank you all. While
> this is also an opportunity for shameless plugging, I'll try to
> get it over with as quickly as possible: my book, The Herbalist
> in the Kitchen (University of Illinois Press), is finally out.

Did you include giant hogweed, the one I asked about last week?

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Jack,

Giant Hogweed, also known as Cartwheel Flower and Cow Parsnip
(Heracleum mantegazzianum, also Elaeagnus umbellata) is member of the
Apiaceae, or Parsley family -- that used to be named Umbelliferae.
Like many members of the family, it has toxic properties that render
it dangerous -- in its case, an irritating sap that can cause nasty
blisters and/or blindness. It is listed as an invasive and noxious
weed by the USDA. It does seem to have originated in China, but it's
invasive properties could easily have led to its spreading to the
Caucasus.

At the time I was writing, I was unaware of any culinary value to the
plant, so it is not included in the book. The seeds of many members of
the family are used as spices (ajowan, anise, caraway, celery, cumin,
dill, fennel, of course -- and carrot seeds have a lovely warm,
caraway-like flavor as well). If you are planning on experimenting
with its seeds, I'd be very careful to protect yourself from the sap
and spines -- and, by all means, do some more research beforehand. The
excitement of such culinary adventures has its limits...

One of the curses of writing a book like this is that the research has
to end sometime -- and there's always something that comes up right
after it goes to print. The flip-side is that, just by writing the
book, people come forward with all the things you wish you had known
earlier!

Thanks for the head's-up -- I'll see what I can find out about it.

Gary

On Jul 22, 5:40 am, Jack Campin - bogus address
> wrote:

> Did you include giant hogweed, the one I asked about last week?
>

Jack,

Here's a little follow-up on Giant Hogweed:

The seeds are used in Iranian (aka, "Persian") cookery. They're known
as "golmar" and are said to have a warm anise-like flavor. That makes
sense -- most of the seeds of the Apiaceae contain traces of Anethol
(which has a licorice-like quality) and/or Carvone (which provides the
warm taste of caraway).

Supposedly, one plant can produce 10,000 to 20,000 seeds in one year.

Gary

Gary wrote:
> Over the years, I've often mentioned that I was at work on a book on
> herbs and spices -- and equally often asked for the help of
> participants in the discussions in this group. I received great
> information from many of you, and I want to thank you all. While this
> is also an opportunity for shameless plugging, I'll try to get it over
> with as quickly as possible: my book, The Herbalist in the Kitchen
> (University of Illinois Press), is finally out.
>
> Thanks again, everyone!
>
> Gary Allen
>
Wow! Congratulations!!!!

--
Jean B.