Why do we say ‘mangiare la foglia’?
The origins of this expression are truly ancient. They date back to the 6th century BC, when Homer wrote the *Odyssey*, the great epic poem dedicated to the exploits of Odysseus.
Specifically, in the episode where the hero finds himself imprisoned on the island of the sorceress Circe and discovers her trick for turning men into pigs. The only way to remain immune to the magic is to eat a leaf of moli, offered to him by the god Hermes. The moli was an imaginary plant, which some believe was inspired by garlic.
So, the moment Odysseus eats the moli leaf, it is as though he becomes aware of the sorceress’s magic and thus immune to it.
