From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   kilgoretrout wrote:   
      
   > mimus wrote:   
   >   
   >>Frederick Burroughs wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>mimus wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>>dwheeler wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>>>Scott L wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>>>>"Stands Alone" wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>>>>>Soma is legal (unscheduled) in the US to the best of my knowledge. Am I   
   >>>>>>>mistaken�   
   >>   
   >>>>>>It's considered a toxin (rightfully so), not a drug, so it is not   
   >>>>>>scheduled. If you sell it with the implication that it is a food   
   >>>>>>product, you might get in some trouble with the FDA I would imagine,   
   >>>>>>but otherwise, no issue.   
   >>   
   >>>>>>I love this mushroom for its beauty but have never considered eating   
   >>>>>>it. Seems a shame to pick such a thing of beauty. Too bad when people   
   >>>>>>see them they kick them down.   
   >>   
   >>>>>It depends on what you consider SOMA. If Amanita muscaria, it is   
   >>>>>mildly poisonous in the US and very poisonous in the USSR, especially   
   >>>>>in the Kamchatka peninsula, where it is known to have caused several   
   >>>>>hundred fatalities.   
   >>   
   >>>>>To my knowledge, it has never caused a fatality in the US. But do read   
   >>>>>Benjamin's "Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas" before doing anything,   
   >>>>>including taking my word for it.   
   >>   
   >>>>I've read there's a hydridization problem with _A. pantherina_ in Western   
   >>>>North America, with _pantherina_ having an even wonkier rep than   
   _muscaria_.   
   >>   
   >>>>Amanitas are for lookin' at, in my book.   
   >>   
   >>>I have dried and powdered Amanita muscaria var. formosa, and used the   
   >>>powdered mushroom as a flavor enhancer. �It noticeably increases the   
   >>>savoriness of meat, fish and soups. �The mushroom contains ibotenic   
   >>>acid. �This chemical has flavor enhancing properties equal to or better   
   >>>than monosodium glutamate (MSG).   
   >>   
   >>Does the stuff you _didn't_ sprinkle the 'shrooms over taste more savory,   
   >>too? what about just outright salivation?   
   >>   
   >   
   > Amanita muscaria id hard to identify with many similar looking   
   > relatives. A word to the wise........   
   >   
      
   I did do a comparison on hamburgers.  I made two small batches; one   
   with, the other without powdered A. muscaria mixed into the raw meat.   
   The flavor of the hamburger w/A. muscaria "bloomed" with mouthfilling   
   savoriness, and was noticeably tastier than the control batch.   
      
   It has something to do with stimulating "umami" taste buds on the   
   tongue.  Ibotenic acid is a potent stimulator of these taste receptors.   
     I made a miso soup using A. muscaria that was almost too rich and   
   savory for me to eat.  I've read anecdotal accounts of some chefs using   
   A. muscaria as a "secret" ingredient in some of their dishes.   
      
   Umami is a taste response caused by the presence of certain amino acids.   
     Mushrooms in general are known to have a umami character, but A.   
   muscaria is particularly potent.  I believe Benjamin, in his book,   
   mentions ibotenic acid is registered as a flavor enhancer.   
      
      
      
   --   
   I can tell your future just look what's in your hand...   
      
   - Robert Hunter   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)