Geophagy (again)


It is mightily strange how the internet can lead one down utterly random cul-de-sacs. A couple of weeks ago I had never really given the topic of 'people who eat soil' a moments thought. Now I have made a couple of blog posts on the subject and even read a good book, Everyman's Rules For Scientific Living
(as recommended by the seriously stylish Susan)


Soon I should be able to set up shop as some kind of authority on the subject of Geophagy...
- here's another story from today's news: (I like the idea of taking the soil of your birthplace with you and eating it as a literal taste of home)

"A Cape Town woman addicted to eating soil says she is scared her craving will kill her chances of having children one day. Serial soil eater Thuli Malindzi, 22, has been eating earth for 10 years.
She says the longer she eats it, the harder it becomes for her to stop.

"I started eating the soil when I was in primary school and I don't really remember how it started," said Malindzi. "Since I moved to Cape Town, it has been difficult to get the precise type of soil that I love. My sister and I usually bring it with us from the Eastern Cape."


Malindzi said the hard bits of clay-like earth, which resembles fudge, was delicious.
"The soil tastes sweet and has a hint of sourness," she said. "The ones I find here don't taste like that." Malindzi, from Du Noon, said she always has a fix nearby. "When I crave the clay my mouth fills with saliva and my jaws give off a tingling sensation. "It is really intense and if I don't have the soil with me, I eat a chocolate but I would still need to eat the soil when I get home. "I make sure that I never run out because it would drive me crazy. I eat a block of soil every day."


11 comments:

Brit said...

When I crave the clay

Good name for a novel or perhaps a poetry collection that.

Gareth Williams said...

It's surely only a matter of time before this gets marketed as a quack prophylactic. Think of all the minerals!

worm said...

by the way - does anyone know how you make one of those little blue hyperlinks in the comments section?

Brit said...

Voila

worm said...

but Gaw - it's already here! The germans, who love all kinds of barmy quackery (god bless them) are fond of 'Healing Earth' - clay mixed in water and drunk - here's the badly translated wikipedia

german wikipedia

worm said...

thanks brit!!! :)))))

Susan said...

I read a not so nice article about eating soil in The Times today - a a Turkish girl was apparently buried alive by her father and brother for having male friends.

Anyway, here's another book recommendation for you - Mailman by J Robert Lennon. Let me know what you think.

And thanks for the plug x

Gareth Williams said...

How can we compete with the Germans in the quack prophylactic stakes? I think the key is they're so much more imaginative in terms of illness. Seasonal change illness (don't know the German) is one I like.

Gadjo Dilo said...

I left a comment here earlier, what happened to it?

worm said...

dont know gadjo? promise I didnt touch it!!!

Gadjo Dilo said...

I think I said: "I can relate to eating earth from ones home as a cure for homesickness, it's no more silly than an ex-pat like me watching the rubbish that's on BBC Prime".