[Sca-cooks] frankincense
Stefan li Rous
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Wed Jan 1 01:24:33 PST 2003
Anahita asked:
> Anyone know if a single grain of frankincense is safe to "eat"? I
> know that myrrh is, but it doesn't taste or smell particularly nice,
> and "frank" is so nice...
I believe it is okay to eat, but I don't have a modern medical basis to go
on. Here is a bit from my gums-resins-msg file. This also gives you a comparison
between myrrh and frankincense.
gums-resins-msg (20K) 10/22/02 Period use of plant gums and resins. Myrrh,
mastic, frankincense, camphor.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/resins-msg.html
(hmmm. This is the old file. Looks like I need to upload the latest. Sorry)
> Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 21:15:35 EST
> From: LrdRas <LrdRas at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: SC - spices vs. herbs?
>
> acrouss at gte.net writes:
> << frankincense and myrrh >>
>
> IIRC< both are plant products. Frankincense is the resin of an aromatic Asian
> or African tree and myrrh is a fragrant gummy substance with a bitter taste
> which is used in medicines, perfumes and incense in modern times. There are
> period Middle Eastern recipes which use it as a food ingredient. It is
> obtained from a shrub that grows in Arabia and East Africa. I do not have my
> plant manuals at hand right now but will look up the scientific names if you
> want them..
>
> Ras
> [Submitted by: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip at bright.net>]
> From: N.D.Wederstrandt <nweders at mail.utexas.edu>
> To: herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG
> Subject: Re: HERB - Resins
> Date: Tuesday, November 03, 1998 4:10 PM
>
> Not necessarily. Different grades of frankincense are different colors.
> Ethiopean frankincense is a very bright golden yellow and is getting harder
> to find because the wars over in the Middle East have caused the groves to
> be burnt. Arabian frankincense is a mixture and can range from dull gold
> with bright yellow bits to darkish brown.... Indian frankincense is the
> darkest and is the most common.... It often is cut with other types of
> resins. I have an Organic Chemistry Manual that explains the types but it
> is at home and this week I'm been off list dealing with Laurel's Prize
> Tourney. The difference I have always found is that myrrh is darker and
> has a very bitter taste to it. Frankincense is less bitter and even the
> dark is not as dark as myrrh. Smell wise - myrrh always has a bitter edge
> to it.
>
> BTW, ethiopean has the cleanest and brightest scent to it....It is also the
> prettiest.
>
> Clare
--
THLord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris Austin, Texas StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at: http://www.florilegium.org ****
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