Mango and milk
Today I ordered a mango milkshake at one of Rio's million and one juice bars. As I knew would happen, the guy behind the counter was like, "Mango with milk? Really?" Yes, I said. All the employees and customers watched me drink it like I was crazy. Some made comments. "Don't you feel sick?" someone asked when I finished.
Any Brazilian worthy of the name will tell you that you can't mix mango and milk. You'll get a stomach ache. You'll throw up. You could get food poisoning.
The folk legend behind this folk legend is that the plantation owners made it right up and told it to the slaves, who apparently were just constantly eating mangos, to keep them from demanding milk. Plausible, though it doesn't explain the other common Brazilian fruit-beverage mixture warning, "Never mix watermelon and wine".
Anyway, I know you can mix mango and milk -- I drank mango lassis every day for two months in India. Is there anything more delicious in this world? Some Brazilians recognize this truth, but still prefer not to partake of the mango milkshake, just like you probably don't walk under a ladder even if you are a rationalist. And to be honest, I couldn't fully enjoy my milkshake; all those people watching me made me think, "Hey, maybe I do have a stomach ache."
So 180 million people cheated out of the pleasures of mango lassis because of some stingy slave owner 200 years ago. Meanwhile nearly a billion Indians spalsh in redolent pools of mango and milk, without a stomach-ache-related care in the world.
On the other hand, Brazilians are pretty open about anal sex, so maybe it all evens out.
Any Brazilian worthy of the name will tell you that you can't mix mango and milk. You'll get a stomach ache. You'll throw up. You could get food poisoning.
The folk legend behind this folk legend is that the plantation owners made it right up and told it to the slaves, who apparently were just constantly eating mangos, to keep them from demanding milk. Plausible, though it doesn't explain the other common Brazilian fruit-beverage mixture warning, "Never mix watermelon and wine".
Anyway, I know you can mix mango and milk -- I drank mango lassis every day for two months in India. Is there anything more delicious in this world? Some Brazilians recognize this truth, but still prefer not to partake of the mango milkshake, just like you probably don't walk under a ladder even if you are a rationalist. And to be honest, I couldn't fully enjoy my milkshake; all those people watching me made me think, "Hey, maybe I do have a stomach ache."
So 180 million people cheated out of the pleasures of mango lassis because of some stingy slave owner 200 years ago. Meanwhile nearly a billion Indians spalsh in redolent pools of mango and milk, without a stomach-ache-related care in the world.
On the other hand, Brazilians are pretty open about anal sex, so maybe it all evens out.
posted by Benjamin Lessing at 1:02 PM
1 Comments:
As a brazilian raised being told this (and doing it anyway to prove people wrong) I LOVED to learn this historic fact!!
Thank you so much for posting it.
As a matter of fact, may i have your permission to site you and this "revelation" on a nutrition book I am self-publishing??
Thank you
Monica ;)
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