# Common foods with strange or dangerous properties **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481 "2017-11-02T10:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/41 "2017-11-02T22:17:45Z")
Most dry foods are flammable, though some of them take more effort to light than others. And I think that technically, various seeds don’t actually contain cyanide itself, but other compounds that are turned into cyanide inside the body. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/42 "2017-11-02T22:22:49Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > (Shrug) fill a boiler with poke and water. Put it on the stove top, turn it on. Go read a book for 10 or 20 minutes. Go replace the water. Read some more. Repeat. It takes _time_, but not constant _attention_. The recipe I have from the in-laws is boil for 1 hour Pour off the water Recover with water, boil for 1 hour Pour off water Now you can do something with the poke. But you also have to clean and trim the greens, then squeeze the 2nd boil water out of the the leaves afterward. No, it doesn’t require constant attention. Neither does baking bread or doing laundry or a lot of other chores that used to be routine for people in the old days. You still can’t/shouldn’t take off for a three hour shopping trip or to go to the movies or whatever with a pot of boiling water on the stove. It does tie you down. Food prep used to take a LOT more of peoples’ time. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/43 "2017-11-02T22:35:04Z")
MSG is bad stuff. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/44 "2017-11-02T22:41:10Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > MSG is bad stuff. The scientific consensus disagrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/45 "2017-11-02T22:41:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Most dry foods are flammable, though some of them take more effort to light than others. Also lots of wet foods, such as meat. When gathering wood for a Halloween bonfire this year, I found a large dead possum. Cremated him. Sucker had enough fat to burn like a candle. (And surprisingly with very little odor.) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/46 "2017-11-02T22:43:57Z")
No mention of fugu? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/47 "2017-11-02T22:44:21Z")
Hypothetical: Couldn’t a relatively small amount of poke be cooked in a gigantic pot – like the kinds of pots people use to boil seafood outdoors over a propane burner – all in one shot, without replacing water? The idea is dilution, correct? 20 gallons at one shot vs. 2 or 3 gallons at maybe 3 or 4 shots? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/48 "2017-11-02T22:47:43Z")
“Fugu me!” > [@Chronos](#): > > What do you mean? Scrapple is delicious! Damn straight! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/49 "2017-11-02T22:50:20Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Flour can be explosive and sugar burns very easily. And if you cut a grape in half and put it in a microwave it’ll throw off plasma. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/50 "2017-11-02T23:08:45Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > That seems like a lot of work just to eat a plant. . . . Starvation can be quite motivating. Tapioca can be time consuming to process. Different varieties of the cassava that it comes from have different levels of cyanide. And drought concentrates all of them. So [different levels of processing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava#Potential_toxicity) are needed. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/51 "2017-11-02T23:19:36Z")
Going with my earlier mention of “common” being location dependent, there is [cycad-eating Guam fruitbat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lytico-bodig_disease). ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/52 "2017-11-02T23:38:24Z")
Fairly common and raved about west of San Antonio, [parisa](http://texascookin.blogspot.com/2008/12/parisa-texasalsatian-microtreasure.html) is another delicious dish that requires meticulous preparation. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/53 "2017-11-03T00:00:09Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > The scientific consensus disagrees with you. The scientist I see regularly (my doctor) begs to differ. In my case, I never had food allergies, then one nice cool evening I decided Chinese food would be just the thing to alleviate my peckishness, Ended that lovely evening in the ER. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/54 "2017-11-03T00:20:36Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The scientist I see regularly (my doctor) begs to differ. In my case, I never had food allergies, then one nice cool evening I decided Chinese food would be just the thing to alleviate my peckishness, Ended that lovely evening in the ER. Most of Asia would be dead by now if MSG were dangerous (note that in my OP, I specifically excepted food allergies - peanuts can be deadly if you are allergic to them, but for most people peanuts are just fine). Your doctor did tell you to cut mushrooms, potatoes, corn, oysters, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, walnuts and soy sauce out of your diet, I assume. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/55 "2017-11-03T00:26:11Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The scientist I see regularly (my doctor) begs to differ. You doc is a scientist? Or do you think having an MD makes one a scientist? It doesn’t. But if he begs to differ with the scientific consensus, I’d find another. > [@](#): > > In my case, I never had food allergies, then one nice cool evening I decided Chinese food would be just the thing to alleviate my peckishness, Ended that lovely evening in the ER. And how exactly was it discovered that you have an allergy to MSG? If you do have an allergy of it, you would most likely have the same reaction to common foods such as tomatoes, cheeses, mushrooms and autolyzed yeast extract. Good luck eating pizza. Scientists have not found that any MSG allergy exists, but if it did, it doesn’t make sense to call MSG “bad stuff.” Plenty of foods give allergic reactions; it’s not the foods or ingredients that are inherently bad. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/56 "2017-11-03T00:56:04Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Wow, I am learning fun new facts from this thread. And I’m reminded of two more - > > It stretches the idea of “common,” unless you are a Pacific Island dweller hellbent on eating green leaves no matter what, but taro leaves contain oxalic crystals and while the leaves are edible, you do have to boil the crap out of them in several changes of water to avoid itchy throat symptoms. > > Pineapple contains raphides (oxalic crystals again, basically) - enough for eating pineapple to be a problem for some people. There are varieties of taro root which are inedible, too: swallowing a mouthful of one is like finding you’ve gulped down broken glass. _Very_ uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/57 "2017-11-03T01:34:03Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Some of those relatives liked [scrapple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple), something no sane person should voluntarily eat. Hey, scrapple is pretty tasty. Also, it had a [great song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08iJW-7xIzk) written about it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/58 "2017-11-03T01:39:18Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > You doc is a scientist? Or do you think having an MD makes one a scientist? It doesn’t. But if he begs to differ with the scientific consensus, I’d find another. > And how exactly was it discovered that you have an allergy to MSG? If you do have an allergy of it, you would most likely have the same reaction to common foods such as tomatoes, cheeses, mushrooms and autolyzed yeast extract. Good luck eating pizza. Scientists have not found that any MSG allergy exists, but if it did, it doesn’t make sense to call MSG “bad stuff.” Plenty of foods give allergic reactions; it’s not the foods or ingredients that are inherently bad. All I know is I got sick. I had eaten Chinese food, got sick, got a shot , felt better. 1 + 1+ 1= 3. No more Chinese for me. No repeating probs. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/59 "2017-11-03T01:55:30Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > All I know is I got sick. So your scientist didn’t claim that it was MSG’s fault? I kinda had a feeling. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481/60 "2017-11-03T02:07:58Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > So your scientist didn’t claim that it was MSG’s fault? I kinda had a feeling. 😃 I didn’t say that at all. That is your assumption. My Doctor, maybe not scientist, said I had a reaction to MSG, in the food I had eaten. He further said, some people are more sensitive to it, than others. I can eat most other foods. That is my story and I am sticking to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-foods-with-strange-or-dangerous-properties/800481.md?page=4)