SC - Kissing Comfits or Muscadines.

[David Dendy]

Elaine Koogler Asked:


>OK.  It's time for the obligatory "dumb question".  I have run across
several
>recipes that call for ambergris, musk, gum arabic and/or orris root.  Where
does
>one acquire such ingredients (please remember...I live 'way out in the
"boonies"
>in Southern Maryland.  Getting our own Mongolian Barbeque place was a MAJOR
>event!)?
>
>And, particularly with the ambergris and musk...is it safe to use these in
>foods?  I had been told that they were used exclusively in perfume-type
>applications and were unsafe in food.

First, just as a CCA, you can get orris root and gum arabic root from us
(see our URL in signature block). We don't have any ambergris, though (we
did at one time have a few vials of tincture of ambergis, but we've sold it
all and haven't found any more). However, if you did manage to find
ambergris or musk, in the very small quantities called for they are quite
safe to use in food (being animal products) unless you are a vegetarian <g>.
They come up in many period recipes.

Yours spicily,
Francesco Sirene, Spicer / sirene at silk.net
Visit our Website at http://www.silk.net/sirene/