Hong Kong is a tiny scrap of land that's had quite a storied history. Because of its geographic location and economic importance both as a population and trade center, Hong Kong has been disputed and fought over for centuries. It's now back in the hands of the Chinese, after the British relinquished their ownership of it in 1997.
Hosting so many people on so little land requires ingenious solutions, and there's no denying that this is one, but at the same time it's an ugly way of housing human beings. The average number of people per square kilometer in Hong Kong is 6,500. That figure is somewhat inflated by the existence of Kowloon City. The brutalist construction is home to more than 33,000 people in what is effectively one massive city block. That's bad news when it comes to the potential of disease breaking out and spreading rapidly. It's also bad news when it comes to concentrated human pollution seeping out into the land and atmosphere.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.