you would'nt think a wonderful site about recipes from iraq would bring out the stupid americans but here we go. read this and also take a look at the blog there are some nice eggplant dishes
Blogging Won't Make You Famous
Poisonous Sumac...
A deeply troubled American wrote to me earlier with the following:
Is your "recipe" just an evil trick? A way to poision the Americans?
That could be
inferred. Sumac is highly posionous!
You said: "Sumac is a deep reddish spice that is tangy and grainy."
>From the page you linked: English=Shumac, Sicilian sumac "The closely
related
New-World genus Toxicodendron contains only plants that (as can be
inferred
by the genus name "poisonous tree") are highly toxic."
In Iraq YOU may be eating a safe spice, but in the "New World" (North
America, USA, etc),
the variation of that plant that grows there is posionous!
disgusted
No, dear, paranoid friend- I'm not trying to POISON *you* or anyone else... I had no idea sumac was deadly in your part of the world and even provided a link to better inform you of the plant. I assume that if you purchase it at a supermarket, it will not be poisonous... but what do I know?
Note: If I give you the recipe to a mushroom soup, I assume you won't use the poisonous mushrooms. Give me a break people.
