SC - Murri

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Acanthusbk at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 1/14/99 10:17:00 PM Central Standard Time,
> Mordonna22 at aol.com writes:
> 
> > In a message dated 1/14/99 6:00:31 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> >  LrdRas at aol.com writes:
> >
> >  >
> >  >  I made the Byzantine Murri but I did include Barley in my seed order so
> I
> >  >  could try the original in the fall. :-)
> >  >
> >
> >  Do let us know how it turns out.  I'm not sure I would be brave enough to
> > try
> >  it.  The recipes I have seen seem to me to be a sure breeding ground for
> > ergot
> >  or one of it's cousins.
> >
> 
> Just last week I reread an interesting paper, _Medieval Near Eastern Rotted
> Condiments_ by Charles Perry, about kamakh, murri and bunn. Bottom
> line...Perry says when prepared in the traditional manner involving rotted
> grain and bread "it is strongly advised not to eat any of these preparations.
> They are highly carcinogenic." Further discussion follows re rotted grains
> being rich in aflatoxins, considered among the most virulent carcinogens
> known. This article appears in the 1987 Oxford Symposium Proceedings
> ("Taste"), as well as in part (recipes excluded) in Paul Levy's _Penguin Book
> of Food and Drink_.
> 
> Amanda

I vaguely recall HG Cariadoc telling us on this list that Perry had
since revised his opinion about the carcinogenic qualities of murri.

As I recall, the process for making murri is fairly similar to what is
involved in making certain grades of soy sauce, and while the solidified
soy-wheat cake dregs are sometimes eaten, and are believed to be in part
responsible for the high rate of stomach cancer in parts of Asia, I'm
not aware of anyone concluding soy sauce was carcinogenic.

It's possible that Perry applied a similar logic in revising his findings.
  
Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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