Chandtara Slate Pencil

India – IN001A
Composition: Soft rock
Colour: Grey
Shape: Shaped

Addictively tasty, smooth and crunchy, earthy taste, non-gummy.

Chandtara slate pencil entered the collection of the Museum of Edible Earth in the autumn of 2017, as a result of the earth exchange with Sha in Amsterdam. Sha has purchased this sample online. Indian slate pencils are usually made from a type of sedimentary rock known as shale, which is composed of mud that is a mixture of clay minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite) and small quantities of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite.

Several companies produce slate pencils in India, such as CAT, Angel Pari, TATA, Tiger and Chandtara. In various places in India, people call it by different names. They are sold as pencils for drawings, and not as edible products. At the same time, people in India, as well as worldwide, eat them. A lot of videos featuring eating Indian slate pencils can be found online. According to online resources, Chandtara slate pencil is a very popular type of Indian earth which is addictively tasty. One of the online comments says: “once you get a taste of it you get caught”. In particular, it is loved by children. Some sources say that if the body lacks calcium you are more likely to get a craving for it and are then referring to it as an addiction. For some people, it is even more addictive than food, apparently.

Sources:
● ‘What is the best slate pencil brand to eat?’, News Share, by Simran (English), accessed on 14/06/2022 www.newsshare.in
● ‘Slate Pencil Eating Benefits, Side Effects & More’, Be Body Wise, by Aryan Sharma (English), accessed on 14/06/2022 bebodywise.com