tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7565734316555677541.post6979438041186922572..comments2023-09-20T11:00:37.211-05:00Comments on The Phytophactor: Cyanide in food plants, naturally!The Phytophactorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11064894836161407416noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7565734316555677541.post-67008539960883685822010-08-12T16:28:38.679-05:002010-08-12T16:28:38.679-05:00Somewhere in West Africa they detoxify cassava lea...Somewhere in West Africa they detoxify cassava leaf by mixing it with palm oil. Washing mashed leaf would wash away most of the nutrients. The radio programme (earlier this year) that reported this was rather dismissive and was promoting low-cyanogenic varieties. As far as I could find out the process should work as carotenoids absorb cyanide. I couldn't find any reports of chemists actually trying the resulting compounds, unfortunately.<br /><br />Holm oak acorns can be delicious. When I was in Spain I had roasted holm acorns a few times and they were as sweet as a peeled sweet chestnut. In another part of Andalucia I was told that the farm I was working on had a range of holm oaks and only some were sweet, many were too tanniny. My informant then demonstrated their method of improving the holm oak. He tasted the acorns of a nearby tree, professed them good and filled his pockets for scattering elsewhere. He found a moist place and dug the acorn in with his toe. "For the grandchildren".Patnoreply@blogger.com