Hacker News Reader

Comment by x3n0ph3n3 | Hacker News Reader

I recently tried a soup in Korea (옻닭 or oht-tak) made from Toxicodendron vernicifluum before knowing what it was. The people I was with were very insistent that I take a pill to neutralize the allergen (urushiol, found also in poison ivy, is technically an allergen rather than a toxin) before I ate it.

Not everyone reacts to it, but when they do, it's pretty bad. The others I ate with have no reaction to it at all.

View on HN

> Not everyone reacts to it, but when they do, it's pretty bad.

I have had it a couple times, with leaves brushing my skin. Huge, weeping sores all over my arms, chest, stomach (and worse), like leprosy (I imagine, anyways, never seen a photo of a leper). I can't even imagine eating it.

Similarly, I saw an episode of "Flavorful Origins" on Netflix, "Lacquer Seed Oil", which collected the fruits of the Lacquer tree (basically a poison ivy tree). They ground up the fruits and cooked the pressed oil to neutralize the urushiol (how did they not die from inhaling it??), and then they made a lovely tea with the oil with local bee larvae.

Did the oil have a flavor? Can you describe it? I'll never get the pleasure.

Honestly, it was nothing remarkable. It's used in eastern medicine to treat various ailments, but the flavor itself didn't have any sort of lasting impression.

The best thing to come of it is a story of having "poison ivy chicken."

What was the pill?

I suspect it was an antihistamine, but I'm not certain.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com