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yakalskovich) wrote2009-08-21 03:34 pm
yakalskovich) wrote2009-08-21 03:34 pm
Food around the world
This is a very fascinating article, showing 15 families from all around the world with their food for a week.
Some things aren't a surprise -- the desperately meagre ration of a starving African family, or the cheap, plentiful processed food of the US families.
Two points I find really fascinating: a) the UK and the German family manage to spend much more on their food than anybody else, and it's not that much more (or classier) food as such. I suspect that between EU regulations and subventions, and the precious free market (i.e. right to sue competitors over small silly things), food gets really expensive in the urban areas of the 'rich' EU countries. The price contrast between Munich and Ljubljana (both € zone!) is already remarkable, and the food you buy in Ljubljana is OMG so much better, too. I might mount an expedition there for some weekend in autumn for the sole purpose of buying a box of pumpkin seed oil, the most striking example of that 'down price, up quality' effect.
What really strikes me is b) the plentiful fresh vegetables the Polish, Mexican and Egyptian families eat. Seems the lifestyle of a threshold country or emerging economy (of one description or another) means that there is finally enough food, but not yet highly processed stuff from colourful bags and boxes all that much. Oh, that Mexican family drinks Cola as if there was no tomorrow, and I would wish the Egyptians had a bit more meat per week, but all in all, I like those pyramids of fruit and veg.-
ETA: Now with actual link! **blushes**
Some things aren't a surprise -- the desperately meagre ration of a starving African family, or the cheap, plentiful processed food of the US families.
Two points I find really fascinating: a) the UK and the German family manage to spend much more on their food than anybody else, and it's not that much more (or classier) food as such. I suspect that between EU regulations and subventions, and the precious free market (i.e. right to sue competitors over small silly things), food gets really expensive in the urban areas of the 'rich' EU countries. The price contrast between Munich and Ljubljana (both € zone!) is already remarkable, and the food you buy in Ljubljana is OMG so much better, too. I might mount an expedition there for some weekend in autumn for the sole purpose of buying a box of pumpkin seed oil, the most striking example of that 'down price, up quality' effect.
What really strikes me is b) the plentiful fresh vegetables the Polish, Mexican and Egyptian families eat. Seems the lifestyle of a threshold country or emerging economy (of one description or another) means that there is finally enough food, but not yet highly processed stuff from colourful bags and boxes all that much. Oh, that Mexican family drinks Cola as if there was no tomorrow, and I would wish the Egyptians had a bit more meat per week, but all in all, I like those pyramids of fruit and veg.-
ETA: Now with actual link! **blushes**