Who was the first to eat a cashew?

[drcoastline]

Cashew trees are a memeber of the poison ivy family and are equally toxic. So who went first, then a second time and kept going through the process until they got to an edible nut?

[masraum]

Freaky!

[masraum]

That's like, manioc/cassava/tapioca which is one of the biggest sources of carbs in the world, but if not processed appropriately, it can contain enough cyanide too cause a myriad of problems right up to death.

Almonds may also contain cyanide.

[Bill Douglas]

Certainly interesting.

I'd wondered why cashews had become cheaper over the years. I eat a lot of cashews.

And yes, thanks to all those souls who worked out the process for the rest of us.

[Pazuzu]

There's lots of things that I cannot understand what caused the first person to eat them, and then declare to other the deliciousness of said thing.

Coconut. Clearly, the first person to eat a coconut would have eaten one after it fell off the tree and was sitting on the sand. Beyond the whole "need a machete to eat it" problem, I know from personal experience that a coconut, after sitting on the beach for a few days, rots from the inside. Break open said coconut, and liquid death slides out. It's freaking disgusting.


So, First Dude, walking the beach, sees a fallen coconut. Not only does he decide to pick up a rock and beat the ever living crap outta the thing until it cracks, THEN he got passed the "something puked up something dead" smell that came out of it, THEN he got ill from eating it, THEN THEN he tried again, just with a fresh one, and found nature's bounty.

That dude was either clinically insane, or a glutton for punishment.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

That dude was either clinically insane, or a glutton for punishment.

Or stuck on a desert island.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Coconut.

Speaking of coconuts. Do you guys drink coconut water? I drink it from the coconut - which is best, and if I can't I buy the tetra Pak version of it. VERY thirst quenching. Also good for hangovers.

[wdfifteen]

“Hey Thag, something just came out of that chicken’s butt! I wonder what it tastes like “

[tabs]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

“Hey Thag, something just came out of that chicken’s butt! I wonder what it tastes like “

The content of Dipsos commentary.

[flatbutt]

I am always amazed at the amount of work some people perform in order to provide something as simple as a handful of nuts.

[unclebilly]

Lots of dirty fingers handling those nuts… I had no idea.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

I had no idea.

Nor I.

I get poison ivy breakouts just seeing pictures of poison ivy!

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Nor I.

I get poison ivy breakouts just seeing picture of poison ivy!

Which reminds me of a time in my yoot with a lady friend and some rash enthusiasm on a secluded Lake Michigan beach...

...let your imagination be your guide.

It was more than interesting in a delicate sort of way.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

There's lots of things that I cannot understand what caused the first person to eat them, and then declare to other the deliciousness of said thing.

Coconut. Clearly, the first person to eat a coconut would have eaten one after it fell off the tree and was sitting on the sand. Beyond the whole "need a machete to eat it" problem, I know from personal experience that a coconut, after sitting on the beach for a few days, rots from the inside. Break open said coconut, and liquid death slides out. It's freaking disgusting.


So, First Dude, walking the beach, sees a fallen coconut. Not only does he decide to pick up a rock and beat the ever living crap outta the thing until it cracks, THEN he got passed the "something puked up something dead" smell that came out of it, THEN he got ill from eating it, THEN THEN he tried again, just with a fresh one, and found nature's bounty.

That dude was either clinically insane, or a glutton for punishment.

I'm betting someone saw a smart monkey eat one, get it off of a tree, get the thing open and eat it.

[GH85Carrera]

Imagine the first person to pull up an oyster or clam, crack it open and suck it down raw.

How about some guy pointing at a cow and proclaiming to his buddies, See those things hanging near the back of that large animal, I am gonna go over there and tug on them, and drink whatever comes out!

[cgarr]

you need to run them through a flame to burn off the poison first, that's how we did it..

[Crowbob]

I’m pretty sure the first cow’s milk-drinker was not udderly ignorant of the mechanisms involved.

I’d like to know what possessed the first guy who ate stinky cheese.

[GH85Carrera]

From what I learned the Macadamia nut is just about as hard to get to.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

How about some guy pointing at a cow and proclaiming to his buddies, See those things hanging near the back of that large animal, I am gonna go over there and tug on them, and drink whatever comes out!

Probably not as crazy since 1 they were probably familiar with humans breast feeding, and 2 they had, I'm sure seen baby cows and goats feed, so they knew what was coming out and what it could be used for.

[masraum]

The real hard one to fathom (at least to me) is for stuff that's poisonous until it's been through some sort of multi-step process (like cashews or manioc/cassava).

Weird food, nasty looking food, OK, if you were hungry, you might try eating just about anything. As long as it wasn't poisonous, you might keep eating it and eventually develop a taste for it if it kept you going.

https://www.foodsafety.ca/blog/8-worlds-most-dangerous-foods

Some of these foods are exotic delicacies that can be hard to find in Canada, while others are common staples in your pantry or dry goods storage. From fugu to kidney beans, here are eight of the world’s most dangerous foods.

1. Fugu
Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it can be lethally poisonous. The ovaries, intestines and liver of fugu contain tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin up to 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide.

A lethal dose of tetrodotoxin is smaller than the head of a pin and a single fish has enough poison to kill 30 people. If prepared incorrectly, fugu can paralyze motor nerves and cause fatal respiratory arrest.

Japanese chefs must undergo years of training to obtain a fugu-preparing licence; despite these precautions, numerous people die every year from improperly prepared fugu.

2. Ackee fruit
Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, is a delicious but dangerous treat. Unripe ackee contains a poison called hypoglycin, so the fruit must be fully ripe and allowed to open naturally on the tree in order to be safely eaten.

Seams on the outside of the fruit will split wide open when the fruit is ready to be picked.

Never open an ackee fruit yourself (it must open on its own) and only eat the cream-coloured, fleshy pulp around the seeds. Do not eat any of the pink flesh or the black seeds, because they are highly toxic.

Improper preparation of ackee fruit can cause serious illness (dubbed the ‘Jamaican Vomiting Sickness’), which can lead to coma or death.

3. Sannakji
Sannakji, a Korean dish, is live baby octopus tentacles that are cut into pieces, seasoned and served immediately.

Culinary daredevils eat the tentacles while they are still writhing on the plate, which is a very dangerous game.

Suction pads on the tentacles maintain suction even after the tentacles are severed, so diners must chew the tentacles before they stick to the roof of the mouth.

If they don’t, the tentacles can stick to the mouth and throat and cause the customer to choke to death. According to Food & Wine, six people choke and die from eating (or attempting to eat) sannakji each year.

4. Hákarl
Hákarl, a traditional Icelandic dish, is Greenland shark meat that is cured and hung to dry for between three and five months. This process is necessary to neutralize the high levels of urea and trimethylamine oxide in the shark’s flesh.

Greenland sharks don’t have a urinary tract, so waste and toxins are filtered through its skin and flesh.

For the shark, this mixture of compounds acts as a natural antifreeze that protects it from the frigid arctic waters, but the chemicals are so concentrated that just a few bites of uncured fresh meat are enough to cause symptoms of extreme intoxication in people.

Intestinal distress, neurological effects, convulsions and even death can occur if eaten in large enough quantities.

5. Cassava
Cassava, a tropical root crop similar to taro and yam, is often used to make pudding (‘tapioca’), juice, cakes and chips, but its leaves and roots can produce deadly cyanide. To prevent poisoning, cassava must be properly cooked before canning, eating or serving.

Cassava is classified into two main types: sweet and bitter. Sweet cassava, which contains low levels of cyanogenic glycosides (50mg/kg), only requires cooking to reduce the cyanide content to non-toxic levels, but bitter cassava contains more toxins and must be grated, soaked and cooked properly prior to consumption.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has provided these guidelines for preparing cassava safely.

6. Rhubarb
Rhubarb, the bright vegetable often found in jams and pies, has a dark side. Its leaves, which should not be used in baking or cooking, contain oxalic acid.

Consuming too much oxalic acid can be fatal, though you would have to eat large quantities of rhubarb leaves (approximately 11 pounds) to die from it.

However, consuming small amounts in improperly prepared foods can cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms, such as a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, nausea, diarrhea, eye pain, difficulty breathing and red urine.

Oxalic acid can also cause kidney stones — which are hard deposits of minerals and acid salts that stick together in concentrated urine — which are known for causing severe pain, cloudy, red or foul-smelling urine, fever and chills.

7. Elderberries
Elderberries, which are native to Canada and commonly used in jams, pies, wines, teas, syrups and supplements, are safe to eat if they are fully ripe and properly cooked.

However, elderberry leaves, twigs and seeds contain potentially fatal levels of cyanide-producing glycoside (‘cyanogenic glycoside’). If elderberries aren’t fully ripe or strained properly when they are processed, they can cause nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea.

If consumed in large quantities, glycoside may cause seizures, coma or even death; you would have to drink up to five glasses to be in life threatening danger, but just a cup of improperly prepared elderberry products could cause serious illness.

8. Red kidney beans
Red kidney beans are rich in plant-based protein, fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals; in their raw or undercooked form, they are also rich in phytohaemagglutinin, a toxic variety of lectin.

Phytohaemagglutinin can damage the gut wall and may prevent it from absorbing nutrients properly. Symptoms of poisoning may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting and headaches.

Dried red kidney beans must be prepared just right — which involves soaking for a number of hours and boiling for at least 10 minutes — in order to be safe.

In fact, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cooking dried red kidney beans for less than 10 minutes at any temperature less than boiling can actually increase the toxicity five-fold, so beans are more toxic than if they were consumed raw.