Philip Thrift wrote: >On Thu, 30 May 2002 17:14:55 -0400, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]> >wrote: > >I don't know what the list of wild roots would be, but > > http://www.fao.org/inpho/vlibrary/t0207e/T0207E08.htm > >notes many wild roots that are toxic, and must have been cooked to >be eaten successfully (assuming there were any roots like these >eaten by paleohumans, who did no cultivation). I found the following interesting: "Potato contains the glycoalkaloids alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine (Maya, 1980), concentrated mainly in the flowers and sprouts (200 to 500 mg/100 g). In healthy potato tubers the concentration of the glycoalkaloids is usually less than 10 mg/100 g and this can normally be reduced by peeling (Wood and Young, 1974; Bushway et al., 1983)." Setting aside the fact that potatoes are New World foods, this supports the observation made by a number of people on this list some time ago that potatoes are indeed edible raw. I recall one person saying that he ate them that way regularly while in college. The small amount of alkaloids in the actual "meat" of the potato would pose no problem. I had not known that the alkaloids were mainly in the flowers, sprouts, and peels. Todd Moody [log in to unmask]