That was very interesting, in the Times article they note that they don't eat it to get any minerals or other nutrients, which was my first thought. Do you have any idea why they do it?
The last person I met who ate it (whose eyes almost rolled back in her head recalling how much she loved it) was an accountant who made a better living than I did.
The taste.
That just seems very very strange to me, having never eaten dirt myself or known anyone who has.
Southern red dirt is mostly clay.
Yes, it's specific dirt, not just any dirt.
Ever met a toddler? I would wager you ate a handful in your formative years on at least one occasion.
What do you consider table salt? That’s generally just minimally processed “soil” that was likely sitting around for millions of years until people decided it was tasty and dug it up.