Geophagy is the act of eating soil and soil-like substances, such as clay and chalk. The Museum of Edible Earth brings together a collection of edible earth from across the globe
Efun is the sacred clay chalk. It is used during ritual to mark a new follower of the orisha. The clay chalk is often kaolinite and is often white in color. The white symbolizes purity and new beginnings. It is used in ritual naming ceremonies and other ceremonies involving the orisha. Efun is often hard and needs to be softened with water in ordered to be used.
In Nigeria, pregnant women eat it to prevent feeling of vomiting. It is also taken to stop stomach problems, diarrhoea and cholera. It is ground into powder, mixed with water. And rubbed on the skin to stop skin rashes and itching.
Chandtara Slate Pencil
A very poplular chalk in India which is addicitively tasty once you get taste of it, mostly for childrens. If the body lacks calcium then you get craving for it like addiction, for some people Its addictive than the food. In every place of india people call it with different names.
Luvos Healing Earth
Luvos Healing Earth is a pure natural product without additives and consists exclusively of glacial loess, which has a special, almost ideal composition of minerals and trace elements. Luvos Healing Earth has a unique natural composition of valuable minerals and trace elements. Among others it contains silicate, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, copperand zinc.
Yellow Clay
Kyrgyzstan
Belgorod Chalk
Belgorod Chalk is a medium to hard natural chalk which has a classic chalk taste. If you like your chalk to be creamier, then this is the chalk for you. When you receive your chalk give it a day or two to air dry, this helps to impact on the flavour of the natural edible chalk.
It is found in the Belgorod region in Russia, which is famous for its chalky mountains, and richness in vegetation. This gives the chalk its unique taste and flavor.
French Green Clay
French green clay is a substance that is used for external cosmetic treatments as well as some internal applications by practitioners. It was used in ancient Rome to treat a variety of skin problems and digestive disorders.
The other components of French green clay include a mineral known as montmorillonite, as well as dolomite, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc , aluminum, silicon, copper, selenium , and cobalt.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth from Mexico – is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder.
Pimba
In a number of countries all over the world, soil eating is a common cultural, spiritual or healing practice. In particular, this tradition is present in Suriname. Apart from being an important part of Winti, Pimba is an intrinsic component of the culture, as people often eat it as a snack. Especially, Pimba is often consumed by (pregnant) women.
Creamy, earthy, fine grit, natural edible shaped clay, lightly smoked, with a hint of sour. This is the authentic Pimba, a treasured secret recipe from Suriname.
Ghassoul Chords al Akhdar
Ghassoul use is part of Morocco’s and Tunisia’s cultural make up for decades. Known as Ghassoul in Morocco and Tfal in Tunisia, the product is still an essential part of the Hammam ritual.Our Spa grade Ghassoul Clay is a versatile and multi-purpose daily cleanser that can also be used as a detoxifying face mask, skin conditioner and hair restoration treatment; It delivers one of the world's most powerful deep pore facials WITHOUT harsh chemicals, and can be applied daily to even the most dry, flaky and sensitive skin.
In Morocco, Ghassoul is sold in its natural state with recipes for preparation are passed-on from mother to daughter. Ghassoul is often mixed with orange flower water, rose flower water or essential oils in order to enhance its perfume and increase its hydrating properties. It is important to note that among the Moroccan traditional wedding gifts, Ghassoul has its important place among Henna and milk.
Pan de Dios
Soil for oral use in Guatemala, known as ‘pan de dios’, i.e. 'bread of god’. The earth tablets are stampted with the images, often of cross. The soil comes from the pilgrimage town of Esquipulas, and according to the vendors is blessed.
It is used as a medicine, as a food suppliment, but as well, according to some sources, for spiritual cleansing (at Esquipulas Guatemala).
Cascarilla Clay
Cascarilla reminds by taste an industrial chalk. It tastes like a white soft earth with a bit of chemical aftertaste. It is not really for eating, but I understood that some practicioners sometimes put it on the lips and tongue, and after it gets swallowed.
Below is some more information from internet, and what we heard around:
It comes from the traditions of west Africa. Like other beliefs people brought to the concept of eating sacred white earth and called it efun. They belief that it can protect them against evil. They were looking for alternative earth which have the same effects and that’s where the cascarilla powder comes from. it was already known by Caribbean natives they used it for medicinal properties. Also, it has a white color like the efun. Over time, Santeria practitioners transitioned from using this powder to using crushed egg shells. These were easier to get, and the symbolism of the life-giving egg also made it attractive.
An elderly Lithuanian woman, who claims to be living on a sand-only diet that has drastically improved her health, is sharing her helpful insights with anyone interested in trying this totally inedible fare. Talk about true grit.
Stanislava Monstvilene, 70, from Lithuania claims she has been living for more than a decade consuming nothing but sand. The substance, known to be utterly indigestible, has not only made her healthier but has even cured her brain tumor, she claims. “I had a late stage brain tumor. They said I wouldn’t last long. My hemoglobin level was 60 [some five times over the normal range],” Monstvilene told Ruptly. “I was passing by and once an idea came to my mind – take the sand and eat it. For the first time I choked but then I got used to it.”
ST. Gerlach Limestone
The Sint-Gerlachus church in Houthem Sint-Gerlach is a well-known tourist site and the only religious building with frescos in the Netherlands.
Upon returning to the Netherlands, he gave up all of his possessions to the poor and took up residence in a hollow oak on his former estate near Houthem. He ate bread mixed with ash and traveled by foot each day on pilgrimage to Maastricht, to the Basilica of Saint Servatius.
Aylio
Ghana
Yellow Clay
Ukraine
Edible Bellun Clay
Iraq
Turbah
A turbah is a small piece of soil or clay, often a clay tablet, used during salat to symbolize earth. The use of a turbah is compulsory in most Shi'a schools of Islam and many Hadith mention the benefits of prostration upon the soil of the earth.
Ampo
Ampo is a snack made by soil originated from Central Java and East Java, Indonesia.Ampo is usually consumed as a light meal or snack, and is especially loved by the women who are pregnant.
There is also evidence that supports the usefulness of the flora found in soil, ingredients of ampo. Some have even suggested that it is useful, if not vital, in the establishment of healthy bacteria within the digestive tract, addressing the problems presented by Crohn's disease and leaky gut syndrome. Highly adsorbent families of clays have been demonstrated to cause the lining of the vertebrate gut to change both on a cellular and acellular level, potentially protecting the gut from chemical insults as well as alleviating ailments such as esophagitis, gastritis, and colitis.
Hazelnut Chalk Clay
Kazakhstan
Bentonite clay
Bentonite clay is a natural clay with a fine, soft texture. It forms a paste when mixed with water. Some people use this paste for medical or cosmetic benefits, such as treating rashes and acne or as a hair mask.
People have used bentonite clay to remove impurities on the skin, such as oils, and toxins from the body for thousands of years.