Smoking Egg-plants [Archives:2001/15/Focus]

Crystals
by Mohamed Kadri
No doubt dishes of stuffed egg-plants are delicious and irresistible. But beware, egg-plants and tobacco are relatives!

According to a report prepared by a tobacco farming specialist, tobacco and egg-plants belong originally to the same agricultural family. Both are of similar species in origin.

Talking about tobacco may be monotonous. For all of us are aware how risky smoking is. Hence, I would rather present two tales about egg-plants. Some people believe egg-plants to be the food of those in Paradise. Such people have the core of their belief in a saying by the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH). Some others dislike egg-plants on the ground that it leads to homicides! Of course both are fictitious.

Recently, a Lebanese column press writer told me about tobacco and egg-plants. According to him, eating ten kilograms of egg-plant is similar to smoking a few grams of tobacco.

Shall we initiate parliamentary discussions on raising taxation on egg-plant selling? Or be just fair and ban advertising of egg-plants, especially those Lebanese delicious stuffed egg-plant dishes?

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