Consuming the Inedible

This 2007 Berghahn Books anthology edited by Jeremy MacClancy, Jeya Henry, and Helen Macbeth asks a genuinely unusual question: why do humans across cultures consume substances we classify as inedible — earth, clay, and other non-food materials? Contributors from anthropology, nutrition science, biochemistry, and psychology examine the biological, spiritual, and social dimensions of these practices across global communities. Academic reviewers praised it for filling a genuine gap in food studies literature and for the rigor of its interdisciplinary approach. The honest caveat is that this is unambiguously a scholarly anthology — accessible only to specialist readers, and the subject matter will viscerally alienate anyone outside food anthropology. Not for general audiences, children, or sensitive readers. For researchers in the field, it is a credentialed and thorough contribution.