"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."~George Bernard Shaw
Shaw had put across this tangible truth in very simple yet unequivocal terms in his celebrated work, 'Man and Superman'.
In the Hindu way of life, it is believed that the kind of food we eat has a direct bearing on our mental and spiritual (if any) development. Thus 'enjoying' one's food is a critical aspect of this enriching process.
But what if you were forced to eat something that you didn't quite enjoy. As a child i remember how often i was forced to eat bitter gourd or 'neem' leaves because they are good for health. And, though i struggled with the bitter eatables on my lunch plate, i managed to develop a taste and actually began enjoying them. But that was bitter gourd and 'neem' - all i had to overcome was my dislike for bitter food!
But if i had to follow the UN's dictum, i might soon have to develop a taste and an appreciation for insects too. These 'edible insects' as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is promoting for their nutritional value, include creatures such as bees, wasps, ants, scorpions, termites, cicadas etc. Through this novel program the UN hopes to improve the general health of communities, as well as their economic concerns -- especially since food scarcity, poverty and strife are common factors contributing to malnutrition in many underdeveloped and developing nations/areas of the world.
Highly prized for their protein content, a variety of insects are enjoyed as snacks, or as gourmet platter in many corners of the world, including Africa, Mexico, Thailand, Japan and China. However, there are many cultures and communities where it might still be considered taboo.
What we eat, is governed by our regional demographics, socio-economic status, and just as much influenced by our cultural and religious beliefs. For Muslims, insects would be considered 'haraam', and for Jews it wouldn't be 'kosher' therefore unfit for consumption. The only insect which is however 'fit' for consumption according to these two religions are certain varieties of locusts, and not wasps, bees or scorpions as the UN is trying to promote.
Religious sentiments apart, convincing people at large to overcome their abhorrence for certain food types would be another significant challenge for this project.
6 comments:
First thing's firt, you write on relevant issues and stuff that matter, not poems or ultra literary stuff that dozen other bloggers do. I'm liking ur stuff and will keep coming back for more.
Regarding UN however, I think you are missing one critical point - inflation, rising prices and unstable supply of livestock in many war torn areas. the UN has a point therefore when it is promoting insects, however I do agree with you that religious sentiments might pose a tough challenge for these guys
Hi Anonymous
Thank you for your comments. Yes i understand that the UN has a genuine aim in mind when it is promoting edible insects, it will also provide a means of livelihood for others. 'Food' is a subject very close to our hearts, and has deep religious and social significance, this project therefore might not be well accepted where such food is considered taboo.
I wanted to put you a bit of note to finally say thanks a lot over again about the precious concepts you've discussed on this site. This has been certainly particularly open-handed with you to provide openly all that most of us could have sold as an e-book to help with making some money for themselves, most notably considering that you might well have done it if you decided. Those techniques additionally served as the good way to know that many people have a similar passion just as my own to grasp whole lot more pertaining to this problem. I am sure there are several more enjoyable sessions up front for those who check out your forum post.
Thank you once again for those encouraging words. Yes i write very less, but write nontheless on issues close to my heart!
Very effectively written information. It is going to be useful to anybody who usess it, together with myself. Sustain the nice work – for sure i'll take a look at extra posts.
I’ve recently started a weblog, the knowledge you present on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for your whole time & work.
Just killing some in between class time on Digg and I discovered your article . Not normally what I prefer to read about, however it was completely worth my time. Thanks.
hey all, I used to be simply checkin’ out this blog and I actually admire the basis of the article, and have nothing to do, so if anybody wish to to have an engrossing convo about it, please contact me on AIM, my name is heather smith
I have to admit that i typically get bored to read the whole thing but i believe you possibly can add some value. Bravo !
Hey Heather, thanks for liking the post and those encouraging words. Do keep logging in!
Post a Comment