Unveiled! The 8 Most Popular Poisonous Foods
Introduction: What are poisonous foods? In fact, we almost eat some plants and animals carrying deadly toxins every day, and food poisoning incidents also happen from time to time. To ensure that this kind of thing never happens to us, it is necessary to understand the most common poisonous foods in our kitchens.
I. The Leaves and Seeds of Cherries
Cherries are a very common fruit that can be used for cooking, winemaking, or eaten raw. They belong to the same family as plums, apricots, and peaches. The leaves and seeds of all these fruits contain extremely toxic compounds. Almonds are also a member of this family, but it is the only one that is mainly harvested for its seeds.
If cherry seeds are crushed, chewed, or even slightly damaged, they will produce hydrogen cyanide. So next time you eat cherries, remember not to suck or chew the cherry pits.
II. Mushrooms
We have all heard of poisonous mushrooms and know that they are toxic. Poisonous mushrooms are "toadstools". Although poisonous mushrooms are relatively easy to identify, this is not always the case. We should be cautious about eating any mushrooms of unknown origin.
You can inspect them carefully to determine if a mushroom is poisonous: a non-poisonous mushroom cap should be flat without any protrusions, and it should have pink or black gills (poisonous mushrooms often have white gills). Also, the gills should be attached to the cap, not the stem. You should keep in mind that although these identification tips usually apply to many types of mushrooms, they are not absolute truths. Of course, if you are not completely sure, it's better not to eat them.
III. Almonds
Almonds are one of the most useful and amazing seeds. Their unique flavor and excellent cooking properties have made them the most popular ingredient in pies for centuries. The most flavorful almonds are bitter almonds. Almonds have the most intense aroma and have been popular for many centuries. However, there is a problem: almonds contain cyanide.
Bitter almonds must be detoxified before consumption. Nevertheless, bitter almonds are still sold illegally in some countries. New Zealand is one of them. Additionally, you can also use the almonds from apricot pits; their taste and toxicity are similar. Heating can remove the toxicity from almonds. In fact, you might not know that it is illegal to sell raw almonds in the United States now, so the almonds you buy now are all heated to remove toxins and bacteria.
IV. The Seeds of Castor Oil Plant
Caster oil was one of the many "headache" foods from our childhood, often added to candies, chocolates, and other foods. Many people still eat castor oil today. Fortunately, the castor oil we buy is a processed and safe food, but castor beans are deadly.
A single castor bean can kill a horse. Its toxicity comes from ricin, a substance so toxic that workers harvesting castor beans must follow strict regulations to avoid accidental deaths. Despite this, many workers who harvest castor beans are still accidentally poisoned.
V. The Seeds of Apples
Like cherries and almonds, apple seeds also contain cyanide, but the amount is much less than the first two. Apple seeds can be accidentally eaten, but you will only feel unwell if you eat a lot of them.
An apple seed won't kill you, but it is entirely possible to die from poisoning if you eat enough. It is recommended not to hold apple-eating contests. By the way, if you want to eat an apple and find a worm in it, hopefully not half a worm, you can put the apple in a bowl of salt water, and the worm will die.
VI. Pufferfish
Pufferfish is highly toxic; 1 gram of tetrodotoxin can kill 500 people. In Japan, pufferfish chefs must be well-trained and must pass an examination to obtain a professional certificate. The training takes two to three years. To pass the exam, chefs must first pass a written test and then demonstrate their filleting skills. The final exam includes the chef eating the pufferfish he has filleted. Only 30% of people can pass the exam. This doesn't mean that others died from eating the pufferfish they filleted, but because they did not pass the first two exams. Only the meat of the pufferfish is edible because the toxin in the meat is less, and tetrodotoxin may cause a tingling sensation in the mouth.
VII. Rhubarb
Rhubarb is an unassuming plant that can be made into some of the best-tasting puddings and is very easy to grow indoors.
Rhubarb is also a magical plant—besides the unknown toxicity on its leaves, they also contain a corrosive acid. When rhubarb leaves are mixed with water and baking soda, its corrosiveness becomes even stronger. The stems of rhubarb are edible and taste great, and the roots can be used to make laxatives and antidotes.
VIII. Elderberry
The elderberry tree is very beautiful and quite large. The tree is full of small, fragrant flowers. These flowers can be used to make elderberry wine and soda.
People sometimes flatten these flowers and fry them to eat. However, this is actually risky. The roots and some other parts of the elderberry tree are highly toxic and can cause severe stomach problems. So, the next time you pick elderberry flowers to eat, make sure you are only eating the flowers. (Image source: PConline Photography Tribe)