The last "land" in the village "strange story Vietnam"

Formerly known as the story "whole village eating land", classified as "strange story Vietnam", Lap Thach town (Lap Thach district, Vinh Phuc) has become familiar with the scientific research, geological, cultural. So far, the discovery of geophagical custom, along with the impact of this dish on the human body, does not yet come to the final solution.

And, although not as popular as before, but the land is indispensable in the meals of some families here. The bread "land" famous To the people of Thong Nhat (Lap Thach town), many will not be surprised, as the children in the village refer to the famous "tile bread" of this mountain. Strangely, by the time heard here is famous for eating habits, but "tile bread" is rarely mentioned. Asked or new, this dish is another name for the specialty "bread" land throughout the country, only in Lap Thach. When the strange story "the whole village to eat land" was published and recognized as "strange story Vietnam", people here must familiarize themselves with the visit of guests far. "Come to find out how to eat the land? Nothing, just pick it up and eat it ", saw our strange form, the middle-aged man sitting in the nearby bar talking back and took out a strange shape. Unable to ask again, the man took hold of objects like stone put into the mouth and eat delicious in front of us, people sitting around looking so laughing well. "It's a piece of land, which we still eat, like people eat cassava, eat rice." Although it is known to eat the land of local people here, but witnessed the scene recently, many of us still find it hard to believe. "Here, children eat this dish as candy, no home in the village is not known this specialty," said Tran Van Ngu (60) - who instructed us - confirmed. When asked, Mr. Ngoc said, habit of eating here has long since, no one remember clearly. Only know that your generation was born, have seen adults eat earth, and from childhood they also taste the country specialty. Sitting next to him, Nguyen Cong Hoai (28 years old) not very salty with food, but also know the history of "specialty" home. Many people said that about a dozen years ago, when the market did not have as much food and drink as now, the town of Lap Thach is known as the largest food market of the Northern provinces. Even here, the people here make the land become "bread" land, "tile bread" quite famous area. When we thought that the local custom of eating land was now gone, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nghia - Chairman of the People's Committee of Lap Thach town - explained, this custom is only in some families, mainly people. the elderly do not give up the old habits. "About 20-30 years ago, the land was sold rampant in the market, every market also has a stall selling the land, such as selling vegetables, meat," said Nghia. According to Mr. Nghia, Lap Thach used to provide food for many localities in Vinh Phuc such as Tam Duong, Vinh Tuong (Vinh Phuc); Lam Thao, Phu Ninh (Phu Tho), further in Ha Giang province, Tuyen Quang also buy food. "Once upon a time, Lap Thach had a dish that was famous for its ductility, strangeness," said the president.

Eat hollow "gut" hills In the story, the chairman of the town of Lap Thach told us the stories from the geophagical custom of the people. According to Mr. Nghia, Lap Thach is a mountainous land, many hills, however, several years ago, to any hills of the family also see many deep caves. These are places where people land to eat. Because, the soil in this place is not common in the garden, in the field. To get this kind of soil, the people here have to dig deep underground below ten meters. When encountering the white, pure land, like the clay, like the cassava root, there is still the soil is edible. Even people dig into tunnels in the ground, like gold digging. "Many of the hills here are empty, so one day, people even ate some hills," the president said cheerfully. Before the phenomenon of people eating land that was common in Lap Thach, many researchers and scientists in the field of geology and culture held surveys, seminars and explanations about this phenomenon. The analysis said that this soil contains more calcium, so people who lack calcium, iron deficiency find food to supplement the micronutrients (usually pregnant women, elderly people). By eating well then addicted, plus old conditions are still lacking so many people keep this habit until old. When the small town suddenly became famous for "eating the ground", "eating tile," the local president recalled, many local elders were invited to Hanoi to attend the seminar. and directly perform processing, eating the soil. Nguyen Thi Lac is one of the invited representatives to introduce the geophagical custom in Lap Thach. After being processed, the leanest, most potent ingots were offered to the delegates, when everyone was surprised, because the land had no gourmet and throne. Although Miss Lac lost a few years ago, but mention the habit of eating, many people still mention the instrument. However, after that, many people took turns dragging the village to find out, making life here turned upside down. Even more people are curious to buy land. Sell ​​the money, the local people to dig each other, to try many hills have been parched. The Golden Hill of Thong Nhat is a typical example. If many of the hills have tile roofs, but only the tile lead, and many impurities, Bull Boi gold soil "lean", fat is not fat, no chit. At times, the need to eat large land, people racing to dig the land, making the hill is not healed. In order to limit the erosion and danger of human and animal movement on the hills, the authorities have asked the people to fill up pits and prohibit excavation.

The last people to eat the land Now, when the story of the "bread", "tile bread" is no stranger, in the homeland of this cake, the people attached to it is not much. Confucius, Nguyen Thi Lac is still referred to as the people with the oldest attachment to the custom of eating the land, the people have eaten the land until the end of life. At the age of 80, Khong Thi Bien and Khong Van Loa still maintain the habit of "eating the land". Your descendants also maintain this eating habits. In the house sloping, the whole earth, the wife of Mrs. Bien talked us quite open. At the age of "hyung hy", but their health is still very respectable. "Thanks to eat tile bread, said I fasten the rice is a couple, but fasting tile is not tolerated," Bien said. In the story that the witnesses associated with the "bread", there are many interesting stories, associated with the culture and beliefs that local people still preserve. Not let us wait for a long time, Mrs. Banh snapped out a little soil and dug out and invited us to eat. Seeing that we seem reluctant, Ms. Bien with a piece to mouth to eat delicious. Eat soil from 20 years, up to now have over 60 years to eat this dish, Ms. Bien said, the way of processing land into a tile to eat is quite simple. After digging into the soil, cut into small pieces of the mouth, then put in the basket, put on the kitchen stove and lit fire on the straw to moisture to smoke. The straw will pick up the soil in the basket of about 30 minutes to an hour, when the white soil cleared to change the color of yellow smoke, then eat. However, to taste more special, more attractive, people can also add spices, such as: Spread the leaves such as leaves, guava leaves to the bottom and cover the soil before the basket. Grilled. "My house only do this type when selling to customers because it requires high attractiveness, normal but simple, I eat familiar," Ms. Bien said. According to Ms. Bien, the practice of eating earth is ever since, the previous generation is unknown, but since 1945, many people have eaten. Especially, according to Ms. Bien, those who eat tile bread have a fairly high life expectancy. The average age is 80, life expectancy is 100 years and more. With Bien's family, as has become a familiarity, whenever the family has a bunch, "tile bread" is always an indispensable ingredient. "Since ancient times, the father has eaten this dish, so in the anniversary, Tet holiday indispensable tile roof," Ms. Bien said. In memory of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Khuyen, daughter of Mrs. Bien, when she made her daughter in Bien (1989), the scene "brick tile" is still busy. She is also one of the last sellers of Lapis Lazarea.