Whether you eat to live or live to eat, we all understand the impotance of food. It sustain us by giving us the energy to get through the day and is a huge factor in our overall health.
I know, I know, this isn't exactly groundbreaking stuff.
But our food is so much more than just energy entering our bodies; it has meaning. Not only do we each have specific tastes and distastes, but the food we eat is dictated by our culture. If we’re lucky our parents and grandparents will pass on their favorite recipes to us so that we may do the same for our children and grandchildren. In this way, our traditions stay alive.
Have a look at what food and its preparation looks like in 10 places around the world:
1. Basque Country, Spain
Friends share a typical Basque meal of tuna, anchovies, morcilla, and txistorra.
2. Jamaica
In Jamaica, Jerk Chicken is a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike.
3. Thailand
A woman prepares food from her garden, including oyster mushrooms seen in the large bowl.
4 .Rajasthan, India
A grandmother and mother prepare Roti, an Indian bread, made from stoneground wholemeal flour.
5. Switzerland
A college student is taught how to prepare Raclette, a cheese dish similar to fondue.
6. Islas Flotantes, Peru
An Uro woman prepares dinner on one of Peru’s famous floating islands.
7. Ethiopia
Spicy vegetable and meat dishes are served on top of Injera, a large sourdough flatbread made of fermented teff flour.
8. Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Orphans prepare dinner for the rest of the children at the Jamaa Letu "Our Family" United Methodist orphange.
9. Morocco
A mother and son prepare for dinner.
10. Gambia
A woman prepares a salad while the rest of her meal cooks over the fire.
Regrettably, not everyone on our planet enjoys food in the same way as those of us living above the poverty line. For the 1.2 billion people who live on $1.50 a day, meals lack the diversity, nutrition, and bounty that people living in wealthier countries take for granted.
We have the power to change this. There is already more than enough food on the planet to feed everyone, we just need to change distribution systems that keep people poor.
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