An
interesting custom that can be found in Equatorial Guinea is the eating of
chalk. I observed it when I went to the market for the first time and
found it for sale at more than half the stands. When I asked the woman
who was selling it what it was for, she didn't really have an answer for
me. She did tell me that it helps the digestive tract, and is really good
for pregnant women. She also said it can be ground up into a powder and
applied to the skin to make it healthier. Several other times I have
asked nationals about this interesting custom, and no one really has a
definitive answer. So, I've determined that it is just a cultural event.
I
then was determined to try and do some research on it and find out more
information. This is what I found:
The
term is called geophagia or geophagy. It
is the practice of eating earth or soil-like substrates such as clay or
chalk. It can be found most often in
rural or preindustrial societies among children and pregnant women. There is also a mental disorder that involves
the ingesting of dirt or other non-edible items – this is not what this
is.
I
also found that geophagia is nearly universal around the world in tribal and
traditional rural societies – although it has not been documented in Japan and
Korea.
In
Africa, this custom is found in Gabon and Cameroon and is known as kalaba. In Equatorial Guinea it is known as
calabachop. It is said (according to my
source) to be eaten for pleasure or to suppress hunger.
An
interesting note is, clay minerals have been reported to have beneficial
microbiological effects such as protecting the stomach against toxins,
parasites and pathogens.
So I bought some, and we all tried it. It is an interesting experience indeed.
