Forbidden fruit

Reader question:

Please explain “forbidden fruit” in this sentence: We always want what we can’t have because the forbidden fruit is the sweetest.

My comments:

Forbidden fruit is, in other words, Adam’s apple.

Adam as in Adam and Eve, as in the Garden of Eden.

If you are familiar with this Bible story, you know exactly what happened. In short, God forbade Adam and Eve to touch the apples on the tree of knowledge – knowledge of good and evil. Unable to resist the temptation, however, Adam ate an apple and, as they say, the rest is history.

If you haven’t read the Bible, here are the passages involving the forbidden fruit in Genesis (King James Version), the Christian idea of the beginning of the world and human kind:

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

That’s the idea of the forbidden fruit.

Metaphorically speaking, the forbidden fruit represents anything that tempts us but perhaps is not entirely good for us. The forbidden fruit is attractive because, the more we suppress a certain desire, the greater that desire grows instead of going away. The more we are denied something, the more we want to have it. It’s human nature.

Yes, as the saying goes, the forbidden fruit is the sweetest.

Cocaine, for example, is a forbidden fruit. But many people try it, going out of their way to get it, sometimes at the risk of ruining their career and life in general.

Here are media examples of forbidden fruit:

1. The “forbidden fruit” mentioned in the Book of Genesis is commonly assumed to be an apple, and is often depicted in Western art, but the Bible never identifies what type of fruit it is. The fruit may have been depicted as an apple due to a dual meaning of the Latin word malum, a noun that can mean evil or apple.

Some Slavonic texts state that the “forbidden fruit” was a grape, that was later changed in its nature, much as the serpent was changed by losing its legs and speech. The Zohar (the text of Jewish Kabbalah) also claims the fruit was a grape.

Other Christians sometimes believe that the “forbidden fruit” was the fig, based on the account of Adam and Eve using fig leaves to cover themselves. The fig tree is also the only fruit tree explicitly mentioned in the Genesis 3.

Some Jewish traditions regard the forbidden fruit as wheat: wheat is “khitah” in Hebrew and a pun on khet, meaning “sin”.

As well, many believe the quince tree, native to Southwest Asia, was the forbidden fruit.

- Assumptions: The “Forbidden Fruit” is an Apple, FactFixx.com, September 22, 2011.

2. The forbidden fruit is indeed sweeter. So when children ask for snacks or junk food, experts tell parents that it is better to give them a little than to deny them altogether.

And that is what Beryl Tan does when her 10-year-old daughter asks for something sweet. Tan, 43, a manager, says: “My daughter loves sweets, chocolates, biscuits and cakes.”

So when the girl asks for sweet stuff, she says she will consider it. “If she hasn’t had something sweet in two weeks, or if she’s going to a party and can share her sweets with others, I would say yes. Otherwise, I would tell her no.”

Saying “no” straightaway to sweet treats or unhealthy snacks will only make children desire them more, says dietitian Jaclyn Reutens from Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants.

Instead, it is better to allow kids some junk food within limits – tell them how often it can be eaten and how much is allowed.

She says: “Give them a choice when they ask for it – ask them if they would like to have it now or later. If they insist on it there and then, tell them that the next round will have to be the next day or the day after, depending on whatever rules you have set for them.”

Overconsumption of unhealthy food – especially those high in fat, refined sugar and carbohydrates – can lead to obesity. Obesity is a major contributing factor in Type 2 diabetes, which has seen a rise in recent years, even among children.

So it makes sense to start the battle against diabetes from young.

- Let kids have some junk food, Inquirer.net, May 15, 2016.

3. Havana Club, Cuba

Cuba has a proud rum tradition, and Havana Club is the forbidden fruit, much like Cuban cigars. Americans have been enjoying Havana Club for years abroad, and now they can drink it in its city of origin. All the higher-end Havana Club rums are outstanding. They’re produced by the government in partnership with French Pernod Ricard.

The classic Anejo 7 Anos has sweet molasses notes up front and a long, smooth finish, perfect for drinking neat or on the rocks on a hot Cuban afternoon. The lighter Anejo 3 Anos is delicious mixed into a tangy mojito or a rich daiquiri. Legend has it that both cocktails were invented in Havana, at two bars just a few blocks apart — the frozen daiquiri at Floridita, off Avenida Belgica, and the mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio on Empedrado street. Try one of each, and then meander to Hotel Nacional de Cuba to sip rum neat outdoors at Bar Galeria.

- Top 5 Caribbean Rums and Where to Sip Them, TravelAgeWest.com, August 10, 2016.

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.