05-27-2008, 02:10 PM
Quote:Remember that to them, it wasn't a "strange taste", it was what they were familiar with.
Copper oxides are likewise a metal poison, and can be transferred into foods that are acidic. Fruits, many vegetables, vinegars and some wines may pick up the oxides and bring them into solution, then the consumer eats them, and the metals are stored in his body. Tinning prevents that absorption. (Though not known to the Romans, aluminum likewise transfers into the foods. The jury is out as to whether that is harmful.)
Iron, on the other hand, does transfer, but is not poison. Iron cookware is one way to get an easy supply of nutritional iron.
Yeah I suppose you make a good point there. I did not know about iron cookware transferring though, that is very interesting. In places like Brazil we simply get our iron supply from daily supplements of black beans with rice (stapple brazilian food).
Actually, was rice known to the romans?
