Silphium(en.wikipedia.org)
en.wikipedia.org
Silphium
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium
47 comments
While their normal perfumes are 130 EUR, they offer a 5-sampler for 30 + shipping, with their 4 other perfumes also having some quite interesting branding histories: https://www.storaskuggan.com/collections/all -- I suppose a parfume you learned about from a wikipedia page is quite the hacker thing to wear!
Where do I find the sampler? I think I checked every page and nothing.
I could only find it through Google https://www.storaskuggan.com/products/sample-set
It's on their FAQ page.
The culinary replacement (mostly) is asafoetida, which is not something I would think of as perfume.
My personal description is "somewhere between sulpher, skunk and death." It's not really that bad, but it is pungent and will not leave your nose.
My personal description is "somewhere between sulpher, skunk and death." It's not really that bad, but it is pungent and will not leave your nose.
It's sulfur with notes of heat degraded rubber or scorched oil. Heated, it loses the pungent odor and has a flavor like mild, mellow onion with garlic, but not as distinctive as shallot.
Everyone around you not enjoying it will still assume by smell that you're eating a bag of farts, but it's pretty good. I wouldn't rush out to replace the garlic and onion powders in your dry rubs with it or anything.
Everyone around you not enjoying it will still assume by smell that you're eating a bag of farts, but it's pretty good. I wouldn't rush out to replace the garlic and onion powders in your dry rubs with it or anything.
Yes, raw asafoetida has an awful smell.
However, cook it/roast it and it becomes palatable and the fragrance develops into something rather distinctive and compelling.
However, cook it/roast it and it becomes palatable and the fragrance develops into something rather distinctive and compelling.
Every July I watch eagerly a certain country graveyard that I pass in driving to and from my farm. It is time for a prairie birthday, and in one corner of this graveyard lives a surviving celebrant of that once important event.
It is an ordinary graveyard, bordered by the usual spruces, and studded with the usual pink granite or white marble headstones, each with the usual Sunday bouquet of red or pink geraniums. It is extraordinary only in being triangular instead of square, and in harboring, within the sharp angle of its fence, a pin-point remnant of the native prairie on which the graveyard was established in the 1840's. Heretofore unreachable by scythe or mower, this yard-square relic of original Wisconsin gives birth, each July, to a man-high stalk of compass plant or cutleaf Silphium, spangled with saucer-sized yellow blooms resembling sunflowers. It is the sole remnant of this plant along this highway, and perhaps the sole remnant in the western half of our county. What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked.
This year I found the Silphium in first bloom on 24 July, a week later than usual; during the last six years the average date was 15 July.
When I passed the graveyard again on 3 August, the fence had been removed by a road crew, and the Silphium cut. It is easy now to predict the future; for a few years my Silphium will try in vain to rise above the mowing machine, and then it will die. With it will die the prairie epoch.
The Highway Department says that 100,000 cars pass yearly over this route during the three summer months when the Silphium is in bloom. In them must ride at least 100,000 people who have 'taken' what is called history, and perhaps 25,000 who have 'taken' what is called botany. Yet I doubt whether a dozen have seen the Silphium, and of these hardly one will notice its demise. If I were to tell a preacher of the adjoining church that the road crew has been burning history books in his cemetery, under the guise of mowing weeds, he would be amazed and uncomprehending. How could a weed be a book?
This is one little episode in the funeral of the native flora, which in turn is one episode in the funeral of the floras of the world. Mechanized man, oblivious of floras, is proud of his progress in cleaning up the landscape on which, willy-nilly, he must live out his days. It might be wise to prohibit at once all teaching of real botany and real history, lest some future citizen suffer qualms about the floristic price of his good life."
--Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
It is an ordinary graveyard, bordered by the usual spruces, and studded with the usual pink granite or white marble headstones, each with the usual Sunday bouquet of red or pink geraniums. It is extraordinary only in being triangular instead of square, and in harboring, within the sharp angle of its fence, a pin-point remnant of the native prairie on which the graveyard was established in the 1840's. Heretofore unreachable by scythe or mower, this yard-square relic of original Wisconsin gives birth, each July, to a man-high stalk of compass plant or cutleaf Silphium, spangled with saucer-sized yellow blooms resembling sunflowers. It is the sole remnant of this plant along this highway, and perhaps the sole remnant in the western half of our county. What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked.
This year I found the Silphium in first bloom on 24 July, a week later than usual; during the last six years the average date was 15 July.
When I passed the graveyard again on 3 August, the fence had been removed by a road crew, and the Silphium cut. It is easy now to predict the future; for a few years my Silphium will try in vain to rise above the mowing machine, and then it will die. With it will die the prairie epoch.
The Highway Department says that 100,000 cars pass yearly over this route during the three summer months when the Silphium is in bloom. In them must ride at least 100,000 people who have 'taken' what is called history, and perhaps 25,000 who have 'taken' what is called botany. Yet I doubt whether a dozen have seen the Silphium, and of these hardly one will notice its demise. If I were to tell a preacher of the adjoining church that the road crew has been burning history books in his cemetery, under the guise of mowing weeds, he would be amazed and uncomprehending. How could a weed be a book?
This is one little episode in the funeral of the native flora, which in turn is one episode in the funeral of the floras of the world. Mechanized man, oblivious of floras, is proud of his progress in cleaning up the landscape on which, willy-nilly, he must live out his days. It might be wise to prohibit at once all teaching of real botany and real history, lest some future citizen suffer qualms about the floristic price of his good life."
--Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
What year(s) was this story remembering?
Posts like these are why I visit HN. I've never heard of the author or his book, but will check if my local library has a copy based on this excerpt.
You have probably heard of the Wilderness Society he founded.
Edit: mistook for Sierra Club
Edit: mistook for Sierra Club
I have not! It seems I have some catching up to do.
Max Miller on YouTube’s Tasting History channel did a recipe with modern replacements. It was allegedly an aphrodisiac so could be popular if a specimen could be found... https://youtu.be/D-QHd4_1geE
An aphrodisiac AND a contraceptive? Helluva plant...
Tasting History is an excellent channel, very interesting history and food.
His pullum particum (Parthian chicken) is delicious. And uses asafoetida as well as garum, although I substituted Thai fish sauce.
Any luck reviving this? Seems like it'd be worth doing if it is possible.
If it is like asafoetida ("devil's dung"), as mentioned on the linked page, I'm out. The only spice I know that can manage to seep out of a closed container in a spice drawer and infest the rest of your spices.
Given the roman taste for garum [0](also notably pungent), I'd have to guess that the similarity is real.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum
Given the roman taste for garum [0](also notably pungent), I'd have to guess that the similarity is real.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garum
asafoetida is a standard item in most Indian cooking if you have eaten dal you have had asafoetida
Yes I know. I have bought it and used it in cooking. Takes a pretty light touch to not offend many (most?) western palates. Very easy to overdose, but I have loved it in my Indian friend's home cooked food.
Huh. We usually joke that hing (the Hindi name) is like bay leaves - mostly there for tradition but largely tasteless. I couldn't tell you what it tastes like and use the traditional "big pinch" of hing in most of my cooking.
Bay leaves are exquisite with a totally unique fragrance and strong flavor. Tasteless would be the last word that I would use to describe it. Must be used dried and in small amounts.
Bay leaves definitely have a flavor. Adding more than you need can really unbalance a dish.
If you want to learn what they taste like by themselves, you could make a cup of tea by steeping a few dried leaves in boiling water.
If you want to learn what they taste like by themselves, you could make a cup of tea by steeping a few dried leaves in boiling water.
Interesting. I agree on the ineffable quality of bay leaves, but asafoetida is exactly on the opposite end of the spectrum. It has a very strong pungent smell and taste. But it does come diluted with gluten (wheat) so maybe your particular brand has more gluten than usual?
Also it's probably worth pointing out that the bay leaves used in Indian cooking is different from bay leaves used in Western cooking, so beware. Indian bay leaves have three veins coming from the central vein on them.
Also it's probably worth pointing out that the bay leaves used in Indian cooking is different from bay leaves used in Western cooking, so beware. Indian bay leaves have three veins coming from the central vein on them.
Interesting, mine is specifically gluten free, celiac household.
And that's fascinating, I had no idea! Time to check on the spice packet from my grandmother and compare to the store bought stuff. Thanks!
And that's fascinating, I had no idea! Time to check on the spice packet from my grandmother and compare to the store bought stuff. Thanks!
I haven't heard it put that way about taj, but I can see how compared to so many other comparatively distinct flavors that it doesn't appear to contribute much.
And hing is like the MSG of flavors. You can't put your finger on why exactly, but it makes everything taste better.
And hing is like the MSG of flavors. You can't put your finger on why exactly, but it makes everything taste better.
Lots of cultures have fish sauce. Its really not that weird. Worcestershire is a fish sauce.
I keep my jar in two zip-lock bags, in the freezer.
it may even be still existing, i.e. it got to the brink of extinction and then by the time it recovered we had already lost the knowledge of it.
There is a ton of wild plants or animals that you can eat and probably normally don't (dandelion, wild fennel, portulaca, nettles, jellyfish etc), I wouldn't focus too much on one that may be extinct.
Taste changed a lot over the centuries, and I wouldn't bet that something highly prized in ancient Rome would still be as appreciated today.
There is a ton of wild plants or animals that you can eat and probably normally don't (dandelion, wild fennel, portulaca, nettles, jellyfish etc), I wouldn't focus too much on one that may be extinct.
Taste changed a lot over the centuries, and I wouldn't bet that something highly prized in ancient Rome would still be as appreciated today.
Indeed, Roman banquet food could be flat out crazy by modern standards: sows udders, fried dormice, peacock tongues,...
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/20/712772285/th...
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/20/712772285/th...
Oblig. Monty Python reference: https://youtu.be/H5ofIBw3uMM
Ah, I feel I have to point out that dormouse was still eaten until recent times (i.e. decades ago) in Italy/Slovenia/Croatia.
They are now a protected species, but I would expect they are still eaten from time to time to this day.
They are now a protected species, but I would expect they are still eaten from time to time to this day.
Just use Turmeric :)
Asafoetida is probably the closest substitute, as it's made from the same plant genus that silphium belonged to.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
Turmeric is purported to have all of the qualities attributed to Silphium where as Asafoetida does not.
"[A]safoetida, was used as a cheaper substitute for silphium [by the Romans], and had similar enough qualities that Romans, including the geographer Strabo, used the same word to describe both." -- the article
Reminded me of this recent HN article about a fruit politely called a medlar.
A forgotten medieval fruit with a vulgar name (bbc.com)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26611413I don't get that article at all. Medlars are common enough in Italy in the fall and frequently made into gelato (nespola/nespole). Maybe they've disappeared from the UK...then again it's not like the UK is known for its deep culinary variety or knowledge.
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Fascinating! I'd heard the name in 'Paranormal' (an Egyptian TV show I would recommend), but didn't know it was an actual thing. Or used to be, anyway.
I read that as Siphilium ;)
> There were many attempts to cultivate Silphium, but they inevitably failed. It would only grow wild in a limited area of the north African coast. This, in combination with its qualities as seasoning and medicine made Silphium the most valuable spice in the world, outshining both saffron and cinnamon. The demand for Silphium eventually became so overwhelming that it was harvested to extinction, and the taste and smell of the once greatest spice in the world were lost in time.
> Our rendition of this historical plant is created by researching surviving assumed relatives of Silphium, using aromachemicals (the molecular building blocks of scents) to create an accord that we feel represents what descriptions remains. This is set against a background of ancient incense, woods and leather.
I only wear perfume maybe a few times a month, but when I do this is one of my favorite fragrances to wear because it’s not strongly masculine or feminine.
Here is a scent profile for anyone curious: https://www.basenotes.net/ID26151758.html