[Sca-cooks] Lovage and Rue

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Soffya Appollonia Tudja sent a bunch of links and a warning that rue
is poisonous.

I thank you for your concern. These links concern Syrian/African Rue.
It does sound hazardous.
>  http://www.acacialand.com/syrian.html
>  http://www.oda.state.or.us/plant/weed_control/alerts/AfricanRue.html
>  http://www.deoxy.org/gz_indo.htm

However it is Peganum harmala, and is not the kind used in cuisine,
which is Ruta graveolens.

>http://www.ontariowildflower.com/lakeedge.htm
This page you sent has links about Meadow rue, tall (Thalictrum
polygamum) again the kind not used in cuisine.

I am looking for Ruta graveolens, which as far as i can tell, while
bitter, will not cause people to hallucinate.

I appreciate your concern. I've no wish to harm my diners, and i know
that many people think, for some reason, that if it's "natural", some
how it's "safe". However, i know that the natural world harbors
hidden and often well-known dangers.

Ruta graveolens can also pose some problems, so i'm researching it.

Anahita