Ever heard of a sweets machine with unconscious bias? Nor had we, until a box of chocolate nipples landed on our desks.
Image: DW/Z. Abbany
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Who would dare complain when a colleague comes to work with a swag of sweets and chocolates from an international sweets and snacks fair?
Well, OK… I would.
Perhaps "complain" is the wrong word.
Ask a northerner in England to say the F-word and it'll sound like 'pook'Image: DW/Z. Abbany
But when I saw a packet of Beyond Time Creme Brulee, among other hot snacks from Mexico in the office this morning, I felt a bout of "gut journalism" coming on — no facts, all feeling.
Was it possible, I wondered, that sweets, cakes and snacks could be sexist? Was it a coincidence that the chocolate whips atop of those bite-sized nibbles intentionally resembled… well, nipples? In a box of cream brulee, with a Sophia Loren-like lady on the front? And the harp? I may be a man (read: animal that thinks of sex seven times a minute), but as legendary comedian Larry David says in Curb Your Enthusiasm, "I know the source of these things!" and chocolate nipples are definitely a source!
Mouth-watering? Chocolate hearts and 'smooth' and 'thin' delightsImage: DW/Z. Abbany
Seriously, though, is this necessary?
A toasted coconut snack called Pook even sports an image that unmistakably looks like a padded bra.
And the crunchy Italian snack made of burnt wheat — "grano arso"?
Separating 'the wheat from the chaff' or the big bum from the chafe?Image: DW/Z. Abbany
OK, so now I'm being pubescent.
But I reckon you get the message: There's something rotten with the state of the sweets industry, and it's not machines with an unconscious bias, like an artificial intelligence that's been programmed by a bunch of snotty frat boys.
No.
The bias is totally conscious.
Men beware: This packaging is pastel, so this snack is for women only...Image: eatcheatless.com
There's a protein bar called Cheatless that's cynically marketed at women, with pastel colors on the packaging, references like "even your grandma is snacking instead of doing meals," and PR mantras like, "women want snacks after working out."
Dumb-bars: 'Marzipan for men'Image: niederegger.de
So do dogs. But do they care about the color of the packaging?
I can see how men might be inclined to buy marzipan in black wrappers, but men are notoriously stupid, right? ( — I've built a career on stupidity.)
As for the rest of humanity, there's no need for anyone to swallow such lazy fodder.
Now give me that box of chocs. I'm famished after my rant.
Baobab: Africa's superfood
It's packed with nutrients, antioxidants and vitamin C. Africans have been using the fruit of the baobab tree in food, drinks and medicine for centuries. Now its unique qualities mean demand is growing around the world.
Image: imago/alimdi
High and Dry
The baobab is the only fruit in the world to dry naturally on the branch. After these long velvety yellow pods bake in the sun for about six months, the shells become hard, smooth and brown, with no moisture inside. Baobab harvesters have to climb up the ancient trees and knock the pods down - check out this week's eco@africa show to see how it's done!
Image: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/W. Dolder
'Tree of Life'
The baobab tree is an icon of the African continent. Despite the extremely dry conditions of the African savannah, these trees can grow for thousands of years, storing water in their giant trunks and producing nutrient-rich fruits. They provide not only food but also shelter for animals and humans. No wonder the baobab has become known as the 'Tree of Life'.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Genin
Wild Food
Baobab trees store thousands of liters of water in their trunks to endure harsh conditions. But they need to grow for at least 25 years before they start to produce fruit. The trees do not grow in plantations, but are wild or community owned. With demand for the fruit growing, conservationists are concerned about the impact on the trees and their environments.
Image: picture-alliance/Bibliographis/H. Wilhelmy
Making a Living
In Kenya, harvesting baobab fruit helps people develop a sustainable source of income. The fruit used to only be eaten by people living in rural communities close to the trees. But now it's increasingly being sold in big cities and exported to other countries. The European Union first allowed imports of baobab in 2008 - now, the EU receives about 20 tons of the fruit every year.
Image: DW
Monkey Bread
Once harvested, the hard seed pods have to be cracked open, revealing the chalky dry chunks of fruit inside. It's then pounded into a fine powder that can be easily stirred into food and drinks or used as a thickener. The tangy fruit is also known as monkey bread or bouie, and is revered for its nourishing and curative qualities.
Image: Emmanuelle Landais
Health Benefits
Baobab fruit has around 300 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams, five times more than oranges. Healthy and delicious, it makes a popular juice, while its leaves and seeds are also used in cosmetics and food products. It's thought to boost immune function, promote younger-looking skin and keep energy levels high.
Image: DW/E. Landais
Mother of the Forest
Baobab trees strike a stunning sillhouette. This variety is native to Madagascar, a large island nation off the southeast coast of Africa. The country's 'Avenue of the Baobabs' is home to trees which are centuries old, and draws travelers from around the world. In Malagasy, the local language, the trees are known as the 'mother of the forest.'
