[Sca-cooks] Rue (was herbs)

[JIMCHEVAL at aol.com]

And now yet another wrinkle:
 
It turns out what Persians use is wild rue - which isn't really rue at  all.
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peganum_harmala_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peganum_harmala) 

What's  more, they don't use it for food; they burn it:
_http://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-wild-rue-seeds-esphand-13-0200/_ 
(http://www.sadaf.com/sadaf-wild-rue-seeds-esphand-13-0200/) 
 
Though rue is used in several of what are described here as "Byzantine"  
recipes (but seem to be more Arab than Greek):
_http://nvg.org.au/documents/other/byzantinerecipes.pdf_ 
(http://nvg.org.au/documents/other/byzantinerecipes.pdf) 
 
It's a treacherous little spice world out there...


Jim  Chevallier
www.chezjim.com

Newly translated from Pierre Jean-Baptiste  Le Grand d'Aussy:
Eggs, Cheese and Butter in Old Regime France