do, lettuce
Jan. 22nd, 2015 11:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mayhapI knew that the ancient Egyptians considered lettuce to be an aphrodisiac—I even mentioned it in an Osiris/Set fic once—but I always assumed that it was one of those wacky things with no physical basis whatever which are so common in ancient medicine.
Then I learned from the latest episode of Q.I. (series L, episode 15, "Long-Lost") that wild lettuce contains psychotropic chemicals that have been bred out of domesticated lettuces, and decided that we have been going about trying to get people to eat more salad the wrong way all along.
I mean, sure, they say the psychotropic lettuce is more bitter than regular lettuces, but those already aren't particularly sweet and I would never eat them by themselves, whereas I think I would be more likely to eat a salad if it promised me "mild hypnotic or sedative effects which are often described as being similar to those of opium," and I don't think that I'm alone in this.
Perhaps this is what those women alone with salad have been laughing about all along.
Then I learned from the latest episode of Q.I. (series L, episode 15, "Long-Lost") that wild lettuce contains psychotropic chemicals that have been bred out of domesticated lettuces, and decided that we have been going about trying to get people to eat more salad the wrong way all along.
I mean, sure, they say the psychotropic lettuce is more bitter than regular lettuces, but those already aren't particularly sweet and I would never eat them by themselves, whereas I think I would be more likely to eat a salad if it promised me "mild hypnotic or sedative effects which are often described as being similar to those of opium," and I don't think that I'm alone in this.
Perhaps this is what those women alone with salad have been laughing about all along.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 09:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-23 02:17 am (UTC)