Re: Soil eating tribes?
Kevyn Loren Winkless (umwinkl0@cc.umanitoba.ca)
10 Nov 95 06:46:25 GMT
In <47tep1$nat@ra.isisnet.com> ab340@ccn.cs.dal.ca (John Shimeld) writes:
>Does anyone have information on cultures or tribes
>that eat soil as part of their diet?
>This question was asked of us by an elementary school
>student and left us speechless. Is there a gap in our
>knowledge? :-)
There are a number of african groups who actually _mine_ specific clay
deposits in order to use this clay as food. I don't believe its used as
a staple in the diet, but rather as a delicacy - a sort of "sweet" - and
people have preferences just as one might have a preferred coffee blend.
I believe the aztecs also prized and sought out specific minerals, but I
think that was for medicinal and ritual purposes.
The matter of "soil" eating was brought up in a Learning
Channel series (though the title eludes me), which is probably where the
student came up with the idea - bravo for educational television, hmm?
...Kevyn.
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