One of my favourite perennial vegetables and a fantastic edimental is Aster scaber (nowadays Doellengeria scabra), here harvested in spring in my garden:
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Fig5_17b_P5169309_Aster_scaber-1024x768.jpg)
In September, in a farmer’s market in Atlanta, Georgia I found packets of dried Aster scaber leaves (I had searched unsuccessfully for chwinamul in other Korean supermarkets, but hadn’t found it before):
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/P1210656-768x1024.jpg)
On the front of the packet is a WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm!
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/P1940144-1024x193.jpg)
On the other hand, on the back of the packet it says: “Keep your health with benefits of HAETAE Sangol Hyanggi Namuls”
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/P1940147a.jpg)
Is the reason for the cancer warning on the packet due to the fact that the same packet is used for a range of dried vegetables and shiitake mushrooms (namul), including bracken fern which contains a carcinogen, ptaquiloside (however, it is both water-soluble and is destroyed by heat )
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/P1210658-758x1024.jpg)
I was also surprised to read what would seem to be the excessive pre-preparation by boiling for 20 mins., followed by a soak overnight and then rinsing 7 times, to remove the bitterness. I’ve never detected bitterness and have understood it’s also used in salads. I wonder also why they are known as “thumbs”?
![](http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/P1210669.jpg)