Some people eat soil to cure a lack of iron

In some parts of the world, a handful of clay is not a sign of hunger but a targeted supplement. This practice, known as geophagia, is often a precise biological response to iron deficiency, particularly in pregnant women whose bodies crave the concentrated minerals found in specific subsoils. Amsterdam-based artist masharu has documented this ancient impulse through the Museum of Edible Earth, a collection featuring samples from over 40 countries.