On a 100+ day, what’s better than the BEST mangoes in the world? Alfonso mangoes from India.

Ice cream on a roti…amazing amazing unique twist on traditional ice cream sundaes, found at Twisted Noodle in Durham, NC.

I had the fortune to visit and eat my way through Vancouver last year, and truly, it is an eating destination for all the athletes, families and visitors from around the world.

Location: The Water Street Cafe, Vancouver, BC

From the “Snow Leopard,” Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, the first skier from Ghana to Samir Azzimani, the lone athlete from Morocco, the Winter Olympics is the time when athletes from all over get to showcase and represent their respective nations. The Olympics allows the world come together and see how similar we are: who didn’t want to hug Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette after her bronze-winning performance after her mother’s sudden death or feel for the Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer who was on his way to the gold only to be mistakenly sidetracked by his coach?

Yet despite sugar-coated messages about an increasingly shrinking and equal global society, regional inequities seem to be deepening further. From falling water tables to rising temperatures, we’re in deep, deep trouble, particularly as food demand increases. However, while the troublemakers are global, the consequences seem to fall heavier in certain regions. For example, while China is reducing malnutrition (although urbanizing to a degree that hurts grain reserves and the environment), the percentage of malnourished children in India is astonishingly high. I have written a bit on inequity in India and the issue of hunger and malnutrition.

So is there a solution? GMOs?

Pankaj Mishra pointed out the hypocrisy of a ‘modern’ India heading on the path towards Modernity, while children and farmers live in increasing debt and dependence on a growing bureaucratic food system. India’s “successful” Green Revolution in the 1970s when staple food production increased as a result of “aid” and “advanced” crop techniques are now seeing more dire consequences, including farmer debt, food insecurity, widening urban-rural gap, and rural income inequality, not to mention malnutrition, dependence on foreign oil. Between 1993 and 2003, 100,000 farmers committed suicide in rural areas, clear signs of desperation.

Food aid?

Development aid seems to be determined by the invisible hand of foreign policy and domestic agribusiness, rather than by goodwill, at least in the U.S. For example, according to journalist Celia Duggar who focuses on food aid, the U.S. requires all donated food to be grown in the U.S., driving up cost and delaying delivery of needed food. What does this mean? That middlemen, including Archer Daniels Midlandand Cargill, made over $700 million in 2004 by selling food commodities through USAID.

Meanwhile, those in Haiti coming out the devastating earthquake has to keep waiting for food while counterfeiters create fake food coupons. Take a look at this chart from 2007 that follows food aid.

Source: New York Times

In whose interest do these policies lie?

CARE turned down $45 million in federal food aid, citing that some of these policies hurt the people they are supposed to help. Instead of donating tons to middlemen, then, how about finding and supporting the indigenous programs that work directly with those in need, such as a revolutionary community kitchen scheme in India to combat malnutrition? Or giving cash donations to support the World Food Programme, which has gotten 75% more food for countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia by buying corn grown IN those countries rather than shipping them from the U.S. (novel idea?). After all, it doesn’t seem fair that only SOME of us get to eat food like this.

Location: Kirin, Vancouver, BC

For those of us working in the do-gooding world of development and relief aid: it’s time to stop patting ourselves on the back about our wonderful intentions and seriously take a look at our results. When it comes to food security, there shouldn’t be a Gold medalist or Silver medalist.

We should all be standing on the podium together.

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is a beautiful place with serene mountains and loud, dirty streets. There are meditative Buddhist stupas…

…devout Hindus performing puja, a religious ritual of gratitude…

…chaotic street markets…

…and intoxicating spices.

The food is amazing. There really aren’t large supermarkets with prepackaged meats in styrofoam or frozen dinners packed with who-knows-what. If I ordered chicken, I knew the chicken was usually coming from the family’s backyard.

Given its geographic proximity and history with neighboring countries, there are a lot of Indian influences, with curries and dal (lentils) that you eat with your right hand.

There are also a lot of Chinese and Tibetan influences with noodles and heavy meat dishes.

Being in the Himalayas, there’s even a local beer.

But not everyone gets to drink this beer or eat the food. The ten year Nepalese Civil War from 1996-2006, during which time over 12,500 were killed and over 100,000 displaced, what is left is a food insecure nation – 41% of the people lack sufficient food. 80% of children under 5 are malnourished. Issues of chronic food insecurity, high food prices, and natural disasters make Nepal a food vulnerable nation (World Food Programme).

Climate change has led to once-predictable rains and water run-off from the Himlayas to droughts and floods, wiping out topsoil and entire villages. Crop yields are decreasing, certain types of rice and vegetables are no longer growing where they once did, and even wild animals have begun to show changes in their gestation periods. The danger of glacier meltaway is real (The Guardian). Yesterday, December 3, Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal held a summit on climate change on mountain communities (Radio France), signaling greater attention on this critical issue.

Read more about how to help with the World Food Programme or think about giving a gift of animals via Heifer this Christmas to support local families to bring an end to chronic food insecurity.

In the minds of many Americans, India is the exotic land of Slumdog Millionaire, Bollywood dancers, and romantic ashrams of Eat, Pray, Love lore. Along with China, India is sometimes depicted as “taking over” the U.S. – where “they” are getting rich from taking jobs from “us.” Two of the wealthiest people in the world are from India. Over 200 million in India have the purchasing power that rivals that of the U.S. There are jasmine-scented gardens…

…fancy, air-conditioned malls…

…and man-made lakes for picnics.

Well, guess what.

India also leads in world hunger.

Check out this quick video:

Over 200 million people in India are undernourished. That’s like saying EVERYONE in France-Germany-UK COMBINED go hungry. 50% of child deaths are due to malnutrition. And this is in face of the fact that we as humans have the capacity and technology to make enough food to feed everyone in the world several times over (based on a European diet). So why and how are so many people food insecure?

What does food insecurity even mean? Well, food security is not only the availability of food, but access to it. Food insecurity can range from chronic food insecurity (i.e. chronic hunger) to transitory food insecurity.  Just because food is produced doesn’t necessarily mean one has access to it.

According the BBC, the hungriest in India are often the food’s producers: the farmers themselves. With a focus on new technology, government subsidies to make fertilizers and GMOs cheaper have also led to crop prices plummeting (situation sound familiar?). As a result, many Indian farmers have been unable to pay down their debt and many have been unable to eat what they grow. With global food prices doubling to 11% from a year ago and this past year’s monsoon failure and subsequent torrential downpours destroying crops, some farmers have even resorted to suicide.

Beyond the images of confident Bollywood dancers and sophisticated businessmen, let us not forget that there are families – moms, dad, babies – who do not even have the security of knowing when or if they will eat next.

If India seems to far away for you, let’s take it to the U.S., where food insecurity is not unknown. 1 in 6 families in the U.S. go hungry. That is 500,000 families and 17 million children in the U.S.

So what can we do? Visit sites like the World Food Programme. Donate. Learn. Share information. Raise awareness. If you’re a blogger, become a Bloggers Against Hunger.

For more information on India’s hunger crisis (statistics pulled from these sources):

• Times of India: India tops world hunger charts.
• Economy Watch: India’s hunger crisis worsens despite economic successes.
• Sydney Morning Herald: India’s hidden hunger.
• Hindustan Time: India’s food crisis is incomparable.
• Vancouver Sun: biofuel could be reason for world hunger.

Us…them…U.S….India…we’re all in this together. Wherever we may be, food should not be something to be insecure about.

Popular local soft drink in India…bought and bottled by the Coca Cola Company.

I believe in slow cooking but also believe in human ingenuity; so if there is something that allows me to cook fresh nutritious food fast and reduce my utility bills – I am game.

Interesting facts
- Invented by French Physicist Denis Papin in 1679.
- The concept is cooking food in a sealed pot by using steam heat, without reducing the nutritional value. The temperature in the pot becomes as high as 266 F (130C)
- Often used at high altitudes, where due to reduced atmospheric pressure it lowers boiling temperature.
- Reduces cooking time for most food by 1/3rd the time. The website below gives cooking times:

http://www.healthgoods.com/Shopping/Appliances/Pressure_Cooking_Times.htm

How to use a pressure cooker
Pressure cookers have come a long way; however, pressure cookers differ depending on the brand. The cardinal rule is to read the instruction manual.

I own a Hawkins and make sure that the valves are clean, sealing ring is not too loose and the steam vents are clean. In addition to ensuring that your pressure cooker is clean the ratio of water to food is also important.

On Youtube I found some interesting and useful instructional videos;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9v2S49sHeQ

So if you are looking into saving time, energy and want to dare to try a new cooking method/equipment – give the pressure cooker a try – and let some steam out!

Overseas, the influence of immigrant cuisine is no different, and they too get adapted and influenced by local cuisine. Let’s revert back to India, for the moment, where Chinese food is not only seen on street vendor carts (a whole chain), but the Indian-Chinese food is delicious.

From wonton soups to lo mein, the dishes are “Indianized” to add unique flavors. A popular dish is chili paneer, almost like a Szechwan tofu dish only made with Indian paneer and different spices.

A simple recipe adapted from Recipezaar:

16 ounces paneer
4 TB corn flour
1 TB tomato paste
1 TB chili or hot sauce
10-12 small green chilis, chopped
2 TB soy sauce
4 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (or leave out if you don’t peppers, like me)
Salt to taste

1. Roll balls of paneer with corn flour
2. Heat some oil in skillet and fry paneer until golden brown, remove from heat.
3. Add more oil and fry onions until brown
4. Add green chilis and fry for a couple minutes
5. Add green pepper if using it
6. Return paneer
7. Add tomato paste, chili sauce, and soy sauce and stir fry for about 3 minutes
8. Salt to taste

Not your typical General Tso’s chicken.

Indian breads are numerous and they also vary by region and culture. Dosas (top right and left) are more crepe-like and come in various forms, such as the paper dosa (top right), known for its thinness. Dosas are typically from south Indian. Parathas are another flatbread – an unleavened one made from whole wheat. They originated from the Punjab region and now popular all over the south. They are sometimes served with ghee or stuffed such as the gobi paratha (cauliflower, bottom left). Papads (bottom right) are crispy Indian crackers or wafer. Another popular flatbread is chapati, a thin unleavened flatbread (bottom right).

When chapati is held over an open flame to allow it to puff up, it becomes the Gujarati phulka or roti. The best ones I ate were never in fancy restaurants or the university mess – they were made by hand with care, each one rolled out carefully by my friend’s grandaunt and aunt. They were delicately flavored and absolutely amazing. The bad thing was that they spoiled all other chapatis and rotis for me.

Another wonderful bread item is the bread pakoda, fluffy and stuffed with potatoes, served with a samba (top). Pav bhaji (bottom left) is from Maharasthra region and the pav is borrowed from the Portuguese pao and the bhaji is a potato-based curry. Vada pav (bottom right) is another variation with potato in between the pav.

Puris are often served for breakfast and are puffed up and golden. They are accompanied by a variation of dishes, and the sev puri (left) is topped with sev (fried snack made of gram flour) potatoes, and chutney. An interesting take is the American pancake (right), which when rolled up, makes an excellent thicker crepe.

This is just a sampling of all the variations of bread that brings people together.

I found this YouTube video for a visual.

So I learned a little more about the Silver Plate…the Gujarati thali, apparently one of the most balanced meals of all Indian cuisines. The silver plates are actually originally known as kansa (a five-metal alloy) known to improve memory and purify blood. The thali usually offers varieties of vegetables – from seasonal ones to potatoes to dal – all good sources of anti-oxidants, vitamin A and C, fiber and carbohydrates.

Eating from the hands is made even more splendid when eating from the earth. I had the fortune to go with a friend to his ancestral home about 2 hours away, where his family has a farm. The people who have farmed his family’s land have been doing so for 100 years. They farm tobacco and cotton. This community is wonderfully inclusive – you can walk down the street and a neighbor will invite you in for amla (from Indian gooseberry trees – left photo) or you can pick wild raspberries straight from the trees.

Papayas grow straight from the trees and we drank from freshly-cut coconuts. It was simply wonderful not just trying new foods, but being invited to a warm home, eating home-cooked meals, and enjoying the company of strangers who become like family over the course of one meal.

What language barriers? Nothing brings people together like food.