There appeared in my bathroom one day a tube of Colgate "misvak" toothpaste. Since its appearance was preceded by a visit from the Producer, I suspect there's a correlation. I tried it out one morning, and well, yum! Its taste can best be described as minty-herby-peppery. I like this misvak toothpaste!
But what is it?
Naturally, Misvak has a wikipedia entry. Misvak is the twig from certain trees that for centuries devout Muslims have put to the same use to which you and I might put toothbrush and floss. There is even some evidence to suggest that it has antiseptic qualities and is good for your gums. Traditionally, it's part of ritual cleanliness. Like most things, however, it works better when you pray while using it.
But I guess the real point of this post is that you can be with someone for 15 16 years (see what happens when you don't live together?) yet not even know he was keeping halal* when it comes to dentistry. That, and admiration for the consumer products industry's infinite capacity to identify and fill niche markets.
*the producer recently accused me of "going native." That topic will be explored in a future post.
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