[Sca-cooks] Musk and Camphor, was Flour question

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Kiri wrote:
>...please remind me
>what I could use in the place of the frequent references to camphor and
>musk.  In some places, the reference is to "aromatics" and the two are cited
>as examples.  There are a couple of really cool dessert dishes that I'd love
>to use but acquiring either of these is a problem...not to mention that I
>understand that the musk that's available is a chemical compound used in
>perfumes and is poisonous!

There are some vegetable musk substitutes that may be edible in small 
quantities:
ambrette seeds (Abelmoschus moschatus, related to hibiscus)
and
labdanum (which comes fromrock rose / Cistus ladaniferus; no, this is 
NOT laudanum :)
I cannot guarantee the safety of either as i have not done much 
research into them. From what i can tell, the natural plants 
themselves are safe to consume in small quantities, but distillates 
from them used in perfumery are not

There is an edible form of camphor from the Borneo camphor 
(Dryobalanops camphora, as distinct from Cinnamomum camphora) used by 
South Asians, frequently in sweets. I have not yet gone looking for 
it, but several listees have found it, including Mahdavi and 
Cariadoc, have found it in South Asian markets. In various Indian 
languages it is called Kacha Karpoor (Hindi) or Pacha Karpooram 
(Tamil) (also written pachai, paccha, pachha, and pachcha) or Cheen 
Karpooram (Telugu); the name means raw camphor.

It comes in small crystals looking somewhat like coarse salt and is 
derived by steam distillation from the leaves and wood of the Borneo 
camphor tree. Heres a photo:
http://www.marktz.in/images/panch%20karpooram.jpg

And always specify edible, or the kind used in paan (betel leaf mix) 
because nonedible, and downright poisonous, camphor smelling stuff is 
used for other purposes. Definitely not blocks or tablets, nor so 
called medicinal (for external use), nor puja (burned as an offering 
in religious ceremonies)

I tried to find it for sale on the internet, but could only find it 
on an merchant website in India. I will definitely have to explore 
the many South Asian markets near me.
-- 
Urtatim [that's err-tah-TEEM]
the persona formerly known as Anahita