Global Updates From World View
Food around the World*
“Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you what you are”
- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
For better or worse, food helps us define who we are. Throughout history, grains, spices, and produce have connected civilizations and strengthen national identities. In today’s global economy, food production has had a dynamic effect on international development and stability. In this month’s Global Update, take a quiz to learn about food from around the world. This month's Update also highlights resources for educators to learn about the current food crisis and how your students can become informed and involved citizens on fighting global hunger.
|National and Popular Dish Quiz
Instructions : Match the following national and popular dishes with their corresponding country in the word bank to the right. Answers can be found at the bottom of the page.
1. Ramen tends to be served in a meat-based broth, and uses toppings such as sliced pork, dried seaweed, green onions, and even corn. Almost every locality in this country has its own variation of ramen.
2. Falafel (also Falefel) is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. It is a popular form of fast food and is also served as a snack. The falafel balls, whole or crushed, may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzled with tehini.
3. Sancocho is a traditional soup (often considered a stew). Sancocho is considered a fairly rustic dish with ingredients such as chicken, fish, plantains, yuca, cilantro, yams, corn, and potatoes.
4. Kimchi is a traditional fermented dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Kimchi is also cooked with other ingredients to make dishes such as kimchi stew and kimchi fried rice.
5. Sauerkraut is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf-life, and a distinctive sour flavor. Raw sauerkraut dressed with oil and onions is served as a salad, while warmed sauerkraut is commonly served over meat.
6. Bobotie consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. The recipe originates from the Dutch East India Company colonies with the name derived from the Indonesian Bobotok. It is also made with curry powder creating a slight tangy flavor.
7. Paella , cooked in a large, shallow, flat pan , usually consists of vegetables and meat or seafood (octopus, shrimp and/or oysters). The three key ingredients are rice, saffron, and olive oil.
8. Borscht is a hearty soup with many common optional ingredients, depending on the cuisine, including various vegetables, mushrooms, and meats. It is more akin to a stew than most soups, and may be eaten as a meal in itself, usually with thick dark bread.
9. Kabsa is a family of rice dishes mainly made from a mixture of spices, rice, meat and vegetables. The spices and condiments used in Kabsa are what primarily contribute to the taste; these are generally cloves, curry, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves and nutmeg, pine nuts, onions and tomatoes. The main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat—chicken, goat, lamb, camel, or seafood.
10. Adobo, typically made with pork or chicken or a combination of both, is a dish slowly cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns, and is often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterwards to get the desirable crisped edges.
“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for the minds and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
World Food Day
World Food Day, October 16, consists of worldwide events highlighting the need and resources available to alleviate hunger. Events take place at local, state, and regional levels. The World Food Day website also provides K-12 and college resource guides for discussing food and hunger issues in the classroom. www.worldfooddayusa.org
World Food Programme
A division of the United Nations, the World Food Programme works to alleviate global hunger and improve nutrition and the quality of life worldwide. The agency works in emergency situations to provide quick relief and subsistence, but also works toward long term solutions to fight global hunger.
Heifer International provides a holistic approach to ending world poverty. Providing a source of food rather than short-term relief, Heifer International is one of the leading non-profits for sustainable development. Heifer also produces curriculum guides for K-8. www.heifer.org
The Worldwatch Institute focuses on the challenges of global issues and the research necessary to make governmental changes for sustainable societies. Worldwatch research is published in 36 languages and used by 150 partners in 40 countries. www.worldwatch.org
Oxfam International is focused on fighting the root causes of poverty at the international level. Among many other initiatives, Oxfam pressures governments and international institutions to invest in agriculture in ways that promote food security. www.oxfam.org
“Is my lunch causing global warming?” Sponsored by Bon Appétit Management Company, learn how your food choices impact global
carbon usage. www.eatlowcarbon.org
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities. www.sare.org
Education World – “Graphing the Annual Food Drive”
Many schools collect food for local food banks. This lesson plan allows students to graph the results of their efforts.
Education World – “Where Did Foods Originate?”
Students explore how New World explorers helped change the Old World's diet.
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger
Classroom guides for exploring the problems of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity.
The Food Timeline
Discover the history of food through the ages.
National Geographic – “Addressing World Hunger”
Introduce students to programs that exist to address the complex problem of world hunger.
Connect your students to local North Carolina sustainable development organization, Nourish International.
Peace Corps – “Cuisine and Etiquette"
Students can examine mealtime etiquette in other cultures.
PBS – “Journey Planet Earth”
Land of Plenty, Land of Want
How do we feed more and more people without impoverishing their land? Access videos and curriculum on sustainable agriculture.
PBS – “The Meaning of Food”
Access resources from the stories behind the meaning of food.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Education and Outreach: National Agriculture Library
Cool Food Planet
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger Cartoon
Answers to National and Popular Dish Quiz
1. Ramen - Japan
2. Falafel - Israel
3. Sancocho - Panama
4. Kimchi - Korea
5. Sauerkraut - Germany
6. Bobotie – South Africa
7. Paella - Spain
8. Borscht - Russia
9. Kabsa – Saudi Arabia
10. Adobo – Philippines
* A special thank you to this month's Global Updates guest editor, Carina Brossy.