Nuts

Someone brought me this innocent looking bag of pine nuts. Been nibbling on them all week. Yesterday I noticed a strange taste in my mouth, one that wouldn't go away even when I brushed my teeth and gargled with mouthwash.









It was as if I was eating a nickelplated Lifesaver.













It had me concerned enough I searched for an explanation. Didn't take me more than a minute to discover that certain pine nuts from China and other parts of Asia and Russia have been reported to have this same effect on other people. It's a condition called pine nut mouth or pine mouth and it can last from a few days to a couple weeks. Argh!

Look closely at the upper left corner of the bag of pine nuts. See that orange rectangle on the reverse side of the bag? I didn't see it  until it was too late. Here's what it says.