Kyrgyzstan – KG007B
Composition: Clay
Colour: Mixed
Shape: Raw
Firm structure, bites off easily, crunches, becomes creamy when eaten, slightly sticky, dusty-clay creamy taste.
This sample was obtained online in June 2019 through the edible earth webshop www.melglina.ru. This webshop has a very wide variety of clays, chalks, and clay-chalks,
originating in different countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Ukraine.
In Kyrgyzstan, eating earth is an old healing tradition. For instance, in Narin, local clay is
known under the name of gulpota, eaten for its health benefits, for instance in order to cope with anemia, prevent weight gain, cleanse the body and prolong life. Like in many regions where the earth is eaten, it is often practiced by pregnant women. Debates remain on the effects of eating this earth, as some scientists argue that the mineral it provides is less than the toxins it carries. Most health professionals in Kyrgyzstan do not endorse the use of unrefined mineral supplements.
Dr Abdukhalim R.Rianzhanov, director of the Kyrgyz Scientific Center of Hematology, says
that there is more ‘trash’ than iron in this clay. Within the same interview, he added: “You’ll
go straight to the devil if you eat this clay!”. Although people have been eating the clay in Central Asia for thousands of years, the practice is neither highly regarded, nor praised
as a tradition.
Sources:
● ‘A corner of Kyrgyzstan has a Cure-All: Let Them Eat Clay’, The New York Times, by Ethan Wilensky-Lanford (English), accessed on 23/06/2022 www.nytimes.com
● ‘An Under-Discussed Eating Disorder and What to Do if You Have It’, Blend TW, by
Yvonne Scaglione (English), accessed on 23/06/2022 blendtw.com