On the
other hand, the texture of the leaves doesn't invite eating, so there is
also little to be gained by leaving them in.

People have been known to choke on them, so that seems like a pretty
good reason to remove them.


You certainly could choke on them, but there are worse things - the center stem
of the leaves remains hard, and can stab through skin. You might swallow one
unscathed, only to end up with internal damage. The best thing to do with them
is either tie them into a bouquet with string or into a cheesecloth so that you
can just remove them after cooking. If you are going to put them directly into
a dish, you should break them in half, which exposes more of the leaf and
lessens the chance of choking on one.


-=epm=-

In matters of truth and justice,
there is no difference between large and small problems,
for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
- Albert Einstein