"Ampo" -- The Snack Made from Dirt

From the makers of the Great Leap Forward appetizers!

This is good to know. In our "Road Warrior" near future, when we are all scrambling for food, all we need is a shovel and a pail, and dinner is served.

Vom.

Come on! It can't be better than Mississippi Red Clay!

I've heard of things like this before. Not saying that this is the case but there is a disorder called Pica that causes people to eat things that have no to little nutritious value. (could be wrong) But this particular case seems to exhibit Geophagy or Geophagia. Look here for more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophagy
or google the term

So I take it the phrase "Eat Dirt" has a different meaning here...

Pre-earthquake Haiti

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080130-AP-haiti-eatin.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3337cj4sJQ

@jmercier76
Yes, I believe this dirt snack would have strong roots in pica.
Pica is most prevalent amongst children and pregnant women. Pregnant women with pica are particularly inclined towards eating dirt.
There is a theory that there are certain nutrients in dirt that pregnant women are often deficient in, causing them to develop cravings for dirt. It is something that appears to be innate, even if it is technically a pathology.

I was reminded of Pica too when I read this article.

Well years ago, I read children ate dirt because they craved iron in their little bodies.

@Jesss - You're right, but I wonder if it's possible to have pica for the entire village?

Pica chew?

Pica is seen with iron deficiency anemia. It is plausible that if an entire village had little iron (poor red meat intake) then this could well become a popular snack. Many hematologists include pica (ice chip eating) on their intake survey as it can be sensitive for picking up iron deficiency.

No wonder fried rat stomach looks so appealing to these people. Yummy.

Dirt eating is common in cultures that suffer from famine, malnutrition, and diarrhea. Dirt is nature's pepto-bismol, and many people who do not have access to doctors and drugs would die without it.

We humans are omnivores and we damn well mean it! Plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, rotten shark, rocks, dirt, nuclear waste, stars - you bring it, we'll eat it!

Didn't McDonalds try that once with their special McDirt sandwich a while back?

Makes me think of Dilbert's Elbonians who sold all their country's mud and perished in molten lava.

@clinton robert labombard

How does one eat a star?

@Gauldar

Slowly. Veeeery slowwwwwly. The trick is to not get burned when it explodes.

Could you imagine being the inventor of that food? Look dirt - I wonder how it tastes ... nom nom nom, hey not bad, let's make it a snack!

@Alex

I think it's more like one guy saying "Daaaaamn, I'm so hungry, I could eat a ball of dirt", and another guy saying "Hey, that's not bad, but I can make it taste better!"

People fail to realize that the things we call "food" today are seriousel;y lacking in any nutritional value. Humans did not evolve eating campbell's soup and vegetables or chicken fried steak. We evolved literally eating the world around us. Now that people have a craving or need for the nutrients in clay, we're all stymied. mystified..can't fathom why anyone would want to eat nutrient rich dirt. uh..maybe because the daily diet of humans today is the equivlant of eating paper and salt formed in the shape of food. Clay is nutrient rich in ways "food" is not. by the time veggies reach the grocer they've lost most of thier nutritional value. Same with meat. when the body is low on a nutrient it needs to sustaion itself people experience cravings. and you'll eat what you can until that craving is sated. cravings are your body's way of saying "try that there maybe it has the vitamin i don't have."

hi, I am from Indonesia, ampo famous for people who are pregnant because in Indonesia they like to eat spicy food, and ampo is spicy food, you try to eat and taste the delicacy of this ampo... :-)