Black Nakumatt

India – IN003A
Composition: Clay
Colour: Black
Shape: Raw

Hard crunchy, pleasant texture to chew, not creamy, no grit and does not stick to the teeth, smoky flavor with mint aftertaste.

This sample was obtained online from an edible soil seller on Etsy in November 2020. It was purchased for €38,79 per 200 grams. Its availability seems scarce and the seller appears not to propose this sample anymore.

Black nakumatt comes from India. There are four different types of nakumatt clay: half roasted nakumatt, red nakumatt, full roasted nakumatt, and unroasted nakumatt. Nakumatts are kaolinitic clays and commonly consist of kaolinite, mica, quartz, along other organic matter. It is formed from the weathering and transportation by water of parent rocks.

When looking into the web market for edible clays, one will often find the black nakumatt as it is one of the best sellers for earth lovers. It is a very well-known edible clay amongst geologists, and it is said to be a favorite for many.

In 2019 we got a message on Instagram from the company Kilimanjaro Clays explaining the history of the name Nakumatt. Among other edible earth samples, the company sold online udogo clay, which was originally bought in the supermarket of Nakumatt chain in Kenya. They gave the name Nakumatt to udogo in their online shop. Two weeks later an Indian seller started selling local clay, known as pahadi mitti, as an Indian nakumatt, which later became very famous.

Sources:
● ‘Half Roasted Nakumatt’, Vrindavan Clays (English), accessed on 15/06/2022, vrindavanclays.com/products/half-roasted-nakumatt
● ‘Nakumatt clay’, Etsy (Dutch), accessed on 15/06/2022 www.etsy.com
● ‘Arth Full Roast Nakumatt Clay Bhutado Bhuni Mati 450gms’, Amazon, by ARTH CLAYS, (English), accessed on 04/07/22 www.amazon.in