Chinese Herbs and Spices

[liuzhou]

I have ascertained that what is being sold here as 'sumac' seeds is 90% likely to be Toxicodendron vernicifluum, aka Rhus verniciflua. Also known as laquer tree seed .

 

The sap of the trees is toxic and although the species is used in traditional medicine, it is NOT recommended for consumption, so I will be passing on it. I will not therefore be updating that post.

[liuzhou]

I came across these today.

 

 

苏子 (sū zǐ), Perilla frutescens, Perilla seeds.

 

According to the distributor 

 

Quote

Perilla seeds have a unique herbal fragrance, and if you smell it carefully, you can also detect a light nutty aroma. When stewing fish, it can effectively break down the fishy smell in fish meat. The fishy smell of fish mostly comes from nitrogen-containing compounds such as trimethylamine in its body, and the aroma emitted by perilla seeds can react with trimethylamine and other substances to wrap up and neutralize the fishy smell.

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(my translation)

 

 

I keep telling them "If your fish smells 'fishy', change your fishmonger. It's not fresh!", but they don't believe me.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 07:08 AM by liuzhou (log)