Ampo (snack)

Last updated

Ampo is a food made of soil originating from Central Java and East Java, Indonesia and eaten as a snack or light meal. [1] [2] [3] It consists of pure clay, without any mixture of ingredients. [1]

Contents

Characteristics and preparation

Ampo is made from gravel-free dark earth that is formed into thin spiral strips, then baked and smoked in a large clay pot for a half hour before serving. [4] [5] A wooden stick is used to beat the soil into a solid hard substance, where these spirals of dirt are removed with a dagger made of bamboo. Methods and production are passed on generationally, and the taste differs based on the quality of the soil. Ampo is said to have a cool and creamy texture. [5]

Habit

Ampo is revered by the native women who are pregnant. [6]

Generally, a habit of eating clay can be referred to as geophagy, which in some cultural contexts may indicate a type of disordered eating called pica. However, the consumption of ampo or other soil-based cultural foods and medicines should not be automatically considered pica according to the DSM-V, which specifies that eating disorders such as pica should only be diagnosed when they are "not part of a culturally supported or socially normative practice." [7]

Impact on health

Ampo has become a traditional food that is trusted by the people in the island of Java, especially people in Central Java and East Java. It is believed to strengthen the digestive system. It is also believed to be a drug that can treat several kinds of diseases. [8] [9]

Health benefits

In a Science Digest article (Paraquat: a Potent Weed Killer is Killing People [10] ), it is recommended that a paraquat poisoning victim promptly swallow dirt, even at the risk of salmonella, because paraquat is deactivated upon contact with soil. Otherwise, a sufficiently lethal dose would cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and especially the lungs, usually causing death by asphyxiation by causing severe fibrosis. Lung transplants in two victims merely delayed their deaths because chemical levels still in their bodies subsequently damaged the transplanted lungs, too.[ citation needed ]

There is some evidence that supports the usefulness of the flora found in soil. It has been suggested that it is useful in the establishment of healthy bacteria within the digestive tract, addressing the problems presented by Crohn's disease. The adsorbent qualities of clay 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.[ citation needed ]

Health risks

There are risks in the consumption of ampo and clay that is contaminated by animal or human feces; in particular, parasite eggs, such as roundworms, that can stay dormant for years, can present a problem. Tetanus poses a further risk. Nevertheless, these risks are generally well understood by most tribal populations that engage in geophagy, hence 'clean' earth from below the surface level is sought out. Children's predilection to engage in geophagy makes them more susceptible to worm infestations. Other dangers associated with geophagia include damage to tooth enamel, the ingestion of a variety of potentially harmful bacteria, various forms of soil contamination, and intestinal obstruction.

In the traditional societies, ampo is produced by heat-treating (baking) the earth before consumption, and this tends to mitigate the risks to some extent.

There is a psychological hypothesis which is centred on the cravings reported by clay eaters. Researchers' attention was directed mainly towards pregnant and postpartum women and their emotional states. Geophagy was attributed to feelings of misery, homesickness, depression, and alienation. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coprophagia</span> Consumption of feces

Coprophagia or coprophagy is the consumption of feces. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek κόπρος kópros "feces" and φαγεῖν phageîn "to eat". Coprophagy refers to many kinds of feces-eating, including eating feces of other species (heterospecifics), of other individuals (allocoprophagy), or one's own (autocoprophagy). Feces may be already deposited or taken directly from the anus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anorexia (symptom)</span> Loss of appetite

Anorexia is a medical term for a loss of appetite. While the term outside of the scientific literature is often used interchangeably with anorexia nervosa, many possible causes exist for a loss of appetite, some of which may be harmless, while others indicate a serious clinical condition or pose a significant risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defecation</span> Expulsion of feces from the digestive tract

Defecation follows digestion, and is a necessary process by which organisms eliminate a solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material known as feces from the digestive tract via the anus or cloaca. The act has a variety of names ranging from the common, like pooping or crapping, to the technical, e.g. bowel movement, to the obscene (shitting), to the euphemistic, to the juvenile. The topic, usually avoided in polite company, can become the basis for some potty humor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pica (disorder)</span> Compulsive eating of non-food items

Pica is the craving or consumption of objects that are not normally intended to be consumed. It is classified as an eating disorder but can also be the result of an existing mental disorder. The ingested or craved substance may be biological, natural or manmade. The term was drawn directly from the medieval Latin word for magpie, a bird subject to much folklore regarding its opportunistic feeding behaviors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mud</span> Mixture of water and any combination of soil, silt, sand, and clay

Mud is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. It is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone. When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries, the resultant layers are termed bay muds. Mud has also been used for centuries as a construction resource for mostly houses and also used as a binder. An Old English word for it was fen, now in most dialects referring to a type of wetland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Lotito</span> French entertainer

Michel Lotito was a French entertainer, born in Grenoble, famous for deliberate consumption of indigestible objects. He came to be known as Monsieur "Mouth" Mangetout. His digestive system was incredibly resilient, allowing him to consume up to 900 grams of metal per day. He started eating this unusual diet at age 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuller's earth</span> Any clay material that can decolorise oil or other liquids

Fuller's earth is a term for various clays used as an absorbent, filter, or bleaching agent. Products labeled fuller's earth typically consist of palygorskite or bentonite. Primary modern uses include as absorbents for oil, grease, and animal waste, and as a carrier for pesticides and fertilizers. Minor uses include filtering, clarifying, and decolorizing; as an active and inactive ingredient in beauty products; and as a filler in paint, plaster, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. It also has a number of uses in the film industry and on stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paraquat</span> Chemical compound used as an herbicide

Paraquat (trivial name; ), or N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride (systematic name), also known as methyl viologen, is a toxic organic compound with the chemical formula [(C6H7N)2]Cl2. It is classified as a viologen, a family of redox-active heterocycles of similar structure. This salt is one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide. It is quick-acting and non-selective, killing green plant tissue on contact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otak-otak</span> Indonesian traditional fish cake

Otak-otak is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. Otak-otak is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it is cooked in, and can be eaten solely as a snack or with steamed rice as part of a meal.

Geophagia, also known as geophagy, is the intentional practice of consuming earth or soil-like substances such as clay, chalk, or termite mounds. It is a behavioural adaptation that occurs in many non-human animals and has been documented in more than 100 primate species. Geophagy in non-human primates is primarily used for protection from parasites, to provide mineral supplements and to help metabolize toxic compounds from leaves. Geophagy also occurs in humans and is most commonly reported among children and pregnant women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pagophagia</span> Medical condition

Pagophagia is the compulsive consumption of ice or iced drinks. It is a form of the disorder known as pica, which in Latin refers to a magpie that eats everything indiscriminately. Pica's medical definition refers to the persistent consumption of nonnutritive substances, ice in this case, for over a period of at least one month. However, different studies have included alternative definitions for pagophagia, including "daily consumption of 2–11 full glasses of ice " or "the purposeful ingestion of at least one ordinary tray of ice daily for a period in excess of two months." It has been shown to be associated with iron-deficiency anemia and responsive to iron supplementation, leading some investigators to postulate that some forms of pica may be the result of nutritional deficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoopharmacognosy</span> Self-medication by animals

Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals self-medicate by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils and insects with medicinal properties, to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens, toxins, and even other animals. The term derives from Greek roots zoo ("animal"), pharmacon, and gnosy ("knowing").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic titi monkey</span> Species of New World monkey

The Atlantic titi monkey or masked titi is a species of titi, a type of New World monkey, endemic to Brazil.

<i>Cyperus rotundus</i> Species of plant

Cyperus rotundus is a species of sedge (Cyperaceae) native to Africa, southern and central Europe, and southern Asia. The word cyperus derives from the Greek κύπερος, kyperos, and rotundus is from Latin, meaning "round". The earliest attested form of the word cyperus is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀞𐀫, ku-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dietary indiscretion</span>

Dietary indiscretion is the tendency for certain animals to feed on unusual items, or undergo drastic changes in feeding behaviour. The unusual items can include non-foodstuffs, such as garbage or foreign objects, or foodstuffs that are not normally consumed by the animal. The changes in feeding behaviour can include the ingestion of spoiled or raw food, or consuming abnormally large quantities of food. Dietary indiscretion is relatively uncommon in humans, but is especially prevalent in domesticated animals, such as dogs, as a result of their close contact with their human owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osteophagy</span> Consumption of bones

Osteophagy is the practice in which animals, usually herbivores, consume bones. Most vegetation around the world lacks sufficient amounts of phosphate. Phosphorus is an essential mineral for all animals, as it plays a major role in the formation of the skeletal system, and is necessary for many biological processes including: energy metabolism, protein synthesis, cell signaling, and lactation. Phosphate deficiencies can cause physiological side effects, especially pertaining to the reproductive system, as well as side effects of delayed growth and failure to regenerate new bone. The importance of having sufficient amounts of phosphorus further resides in the physiological importance of maintaining a proper phosphorus to calcium ratio. Having a Ca:P ratio of 2:1 is important for the absorption of these minerals, as deviations from this optimal ratio can inhibit their absorption. Dietary calcium and phosphorus ratio, along with vitamin D, regulates bone mineralization and turnover by affecting calcium and phosphorus transport and absorption in the intestine.

Animal psychopathology is the study of mental or behavioral disorders in non-human animals.

<i>Archidendron pauciflorum</i> Species of plant

Archidendron pauciflorum, commonly known as djenkol, jengkol or jering, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, where the seeds are also a popular dish. They are mainly consumed in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam, prepared by frying, boiling, or roasting, and eaten raw. The beans are mildly toxic due to the presence of djenkolic acid, an amino acid that causes djenkolism. The beans and leaves of the djenkol tree are traditionally used for medicinal purposes, such as purifying the blood. To date, djenkol is traded on local markets only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaoqi</span> Chinese snack food

Chaoqi is a traditional Chinese snack. It is made with pieces of dough covered with Guanyin clay, a kind of clay soil. The primary materials for making Chaoqi are flour, edible oil, egg, sugar, and salt. It is often flavored with milk, sesame, and five-spice powder.

References

  1. 1 2 (in Indonesian) Ampo, Camilan dari Tanah Liat. indosiar.com Archived August 31, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Ampo, Snack Made By Soil. Do You Believe It? hubpages.com [ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ Think twice before you say ew 2013 Flavor Boulevard
  4. ↑ Press, ed. (1997). "Indonesian Food and Nutrition Progress Volumes 4-6". Food and Nutrition Development and Research Center, Gadjah Mada University. p. 46. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 Asprihanto, Heru, ed. (17 March 2010). "Indonesian village snacks on soil for better health". Reuters. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Peter Abrahams, Human Geophagy: A Review of Its Distribution, Causes, and Implications. in H. Catherine W. Skinner, Antony R. Berger, Geology and health: closing the gap. Oxford University Press US, 2003, p. 33. ISBN   0-19-516204-8
  7. ↑ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Text revision, 5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association. September 2024. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.
  8. ↑ Unik Aneh. Ampo, Makanan Khas Tuban yang Terbuat dari Tanah Liat
  9. ↑ "unik aneh - Inilah Satu-Satunya Suku yang Memakan Tanah Liat Panggang" (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  10. ↑ Revkin, A. C. 1983. Paraquat: A potent weed killer is killing people. Science Digest 91(6):36-38, 42, 100-104.
  11. ↑ Kwong, A.M.; Henry, J. (2003). "Why is geophagy treated like dirt?". Deviant Behavior. 24 (4): 353–371. doi:10.1080/713840222. S2CID   144401343.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.