The Chinese believe that the walnut is good for brain power. No wonder, Chinese mothers feed their little emperors (remember, one child policy) with walnuts.
I asked a mainland Chinese friend once the reason why. Her answer was because the walnut looks like a brain. And it's a belief carried down through generations. I don't dispute the similarity of its shape with our brain but I didn't think about its boosting power until I received an email entitled God's Pharmacy. And there it was! The same point about the walnut and the brain.
What amazes me about the story is that people of such diverse cultures can have the same story and beliefs about something as irrelevant as the humble walnut. I can't help but be reminded of the biblical account of the Tower of Babel and the disperse of its people to different parts of the world carrying with them their beliefs and culture.
I asked a mainland Chinese friend once the reason why. Her answer was because the walnut looks like a brain. And it's a belief carried down through generations. I don't dispute the similarity of its shape with our brain but I didn't think about its boosting power until I received an email entitled God's Pharmacy. And there it was! The same point about the walnut and the brain.
What amazes me about the story is that people of such diverse cultures can have the same story and beliefs about something as irrelevant as the humble walnut. I can't help but be reminded of the biblical account of the Tower of Babel and the disperse of its people to different parts of the world carrying with them their beliefs and culture.
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