[CH] any Chihuahuan botanist chefs here?
Captain Apathy (captappy@yahoo.com)
Fri, 13 Sep 2002 07:16:33 -0700 (PDT)
Only marginally chile related in that we all want
really strongly spiced food.
desert oregano, a.k.a. monarda austromontana, a.k.a.
Tarahumaran 'napakuri' a.k.a. lemon beebalm
Ok so it's not meddi, mexi, or wild oregano. And not
to offend the botanists technically I think it's
supposed to be monarda citriodora ssp. austromontana
(botanical latin for something like "lemon beebalm
from the southern mountains") If that's not enough
then try
http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=MOCIA
and
http://image.nybg.org/herbim/2850/v-285-00429323big.jpg
Fragrant? Wow this stuff is heady. Actually looks like
clover heads. Very strong smell and taste. Triple
bagging suggested. It's worlds apart from any oregano
I've had, it's stronger and sharper than mexican
oregano. Kind of peppery spicy. Actually lippia
graveolens (mexican oregano a.k.a. redbush) smells
really weak after smelling this stuff. As a substitute
for oregano, I don't know. Maybe in certain foods I
guess but not overall, no way.
It is supposedly ancient and has been used in
southwestern tribal cooking since dirt was new. Anyone
ever cook chile dishes with this? Does it have any
modern use as a spice?
Well that's what I would ask if I cared.
TIA
PS. Is it verboten here to uuencode images in the
body?
=====
"It is my responsibility to enforce all
the laws that haven't been passed yet."
-- Central Scrutinizer
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