6 foods people once believed to be MAGIC
We eat to fuel our bodies and survive, but thousands of years ago people actually believed some foods to have magical qualities... Read on to learn more.
#1 Artichokes curing baldness
I kid you not, but artichokes were believed to cure baldness. What's more, they were even believed to be an aphrodisiac. The ancient Romans didn't even allow women to eat them because of these beliefs.
But who can blame them? They never got the option of artichokes in cheese sauce anyway.
#2 Cucumbers against mice
We're still surprised, believe me. Ancient Romans believed that cucumbers scared mice, improved eyesight, eased the pain of scorpion bites and promoted fertility.
Women tied them around their waist, and midwives often carried them around, disposing the veggies only after a child was born.
#3 Dill to attract love and happiness
The people of Germany and Belgium actually believed that dill brought love and happiness. Dill was often tied around the dresses of new brides or the flower bouquet to bring blessings and happiness upon the new family.
#4 Fig trees were believed to contain evil spirits
As superstitious as it sounds, the people of Bolivia actually believed this. According to them, evil spirits dwelled under the canopies of fig trees, hence walking under a fig tree could cause great misfortunes like sickness.
In Papua New Guinea, also people believed that evil spirits haunted the fig tree, but those spirits were released once the fruits were ripe.
#5 Poppy seeds helping to find love
This feels unbelievable but young women in the middle ages would often use a poppy cake to determine where their true love was coming from.
How? They would throw a poppy cake out and send a dog to fetch it. The direction the dog came from was where their true love would come from. Now I wish this actually worked...
#6 Onions were believed to promote eternal life
According to the Egyptians, the onion signified eternal life because of the many layers it had. As a result, they buried their kings with it. Onions have been found in various body parts of mummies including the thorax and pelvic.
People have different traditions especially when it comes to food. It's nice to know that part of their beliefs extended to food too.
On a scale of one to ten, which one of these myths about food sounds quite realistic? Tell us in the comment section below!
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