[Stoves] What people cook to eat (biomass as the other fuel)

[Nikhil Desai]

Paul:

Further to my reply to you on taking stock of studies, and my griping about
boiling water, I offer some description of what people eat from a blog at
the Borgen Project.

There is a link to another website http://www.foodbycountry.com/index.html.
Anthony Bourdain has tales of what happens in restaurants.

For all this talk of 3 billion people and some 50 million premature deaths,
WHO does not have a single study of a) a single person with HAP exposures
for his or her lifetime, or b) 30,000 people and their fuel use (quantity,
quality), emission rates by stove and cooking task, air pollutant
exposures by pollutant type, and complete health and nutrition records for
a year.

Nor do we have any study of actual food, fuel, medical unit costs and
expenditures for 30,000 people.

Nikhil

---------------
What the 10 Poorest Countries are Eating
<https://borgenproject.org/10-poorest-countries-eating/>
https://borgenproject.org/10-poorest-countries-eating/

Food is deeply integrated into all cultures, and it’s often the poorest
countries who take the most pride in their meals. Food brings people
together, even if the distance never changes.

*Democratic Republic of the Congo*
<http://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-2/>

Cassava, being available year round, is the staple food, though there are
Arabic, French and Asian influences in Congolese cuisine. It’s common to
grill or boil insects such as caterpillar, crickets and grasshoppers while
bananas and local vegetables are common. A simple dish, called saka saka is
made from cassava leaves cooked with palm oil and peanut sauce.

*Zimbabwe*

The national dish, called sadza, is based on cornmeal and generally served
with a vegetable stew. Meats such as beef, springbok, kudu and goat are
consumed regularly by those who can afford it, but those who cannot rely on
a wide variety of fried insect for protein.

The majority of Zimbabweans are Christian, so Christmas is widely
celebrated. Often an animal is roasted on a spit for hours to be shared by
the entire village.

*Burundi* <http://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-burundi/>

The Burundi diet is heavy in carbohydrates such as corn, millet, sorghum,
cassava and sweet potatoes. Cassava is typically boiled and mashed into a
porridge that’s used to school up a vegetable sauce. Beans are the most
common source of protein as meat is rare, though fish is regularly eaten by
those who live beside Lake Tanganyika.

Locally-brewed beers are common and accepted as part of the social
interaction when families negotiate over a marriage. There are many food
customs that revolve around cows, which are considered sacred. Milk cannot
be heated or drunk on the same day that peas or peanuts are eaten, and when
a cow dies its horns are planted beside the family’s house to bring good
luck.

*Liberia*

Typically found in Liberian meals are cassava, peppers, sweet potatoes,
tomatoes, ginger, palm oil and no meal is complete without rice. Cassava is
sometimes boiled and then pounded into what is called a dumboy, and sauces
made from the Cassava leaf over beef or chicken are a traditional favorite.

*Eritrea*

Goats, cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens are all commonly raised and eaten
while fish consumption is low, regardless of Eritrea’s proximity to the Red
Sea. The base of most meals is either kitcha – a thin wheat bread – or
injera – a spongy pancake made from taff. Food is typically served in a
communal bowl and eaters use the kitcha or injera to pinch out some of the
main course.

Since Eritrea was once an Italian colony, tourists often find spaghetti,
lasagna and pizza in the country’s restaurants. Blended drinks with
bananas, mango and papaya are common, and three drinks share the title of
‘national beverage’: suwa, an alcoholic drink similar to beer; meis, a
fermented honey drink; and Araki, an anise-flavored liquor.

*Central African Republic*
<http://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-the-central-african-republic/>

Meat is scarce and expensive, so nuts and insects serve as daily protein.
The base of most meals is usually millet or sorghum, and vegetables and
spices such as garlic, onions, chiles, okra and peanuts are gradationally
used to add flavor.

Specialties include palm butter soup, futu – pounded cassava – and foutou –
pounded plantains. Palm wine and banana wine are the favorite local
beverages.

*Niger*

As a desert country, Niger’s citizens rely on grains that can be stored for
long periods of time like millet and rice. Beef and mutton often serve as
the main interest in the meal, and a local favorite is dumplings made from
crushed and fermented millet and cooked in milk, sugar and spices.

Those who border Lake Chad have access to fresh mish and the vegetables
used in European, Asian and African dishes. The country is predominantly
Islamic and so alcohol isn’t easily available. Instead, tae is the drink of
choice and is available from carts beside the road.

*Malawi*

Rural Malawian families all play a part in growing maize, the staple of
their diet. Cooked maize is shaped into patties that are called nsima, and
family members eat from the communal bowl while sitting in a circle on the
ground. The bowl typically contains a variation of ndiwo, a sauce made with
beans, meat or vegetables, and the nsima is used to scoop out a mouth-full
at a time.

Those who boarder Lake Malawi eat a great deal of fish, and they dry what
they don’t eat to sell to the neighbors. Chambo (the same fish used to make
Western tilapia) is a popular favorite.

*Madagascar*

Those who have a history in Madagascar have left their mark on the cuisine;
therefore finding dishes that belong to France
<http://borgenproject.org/1-5-children-france-living-poverty/>, parts of
Africa, the Indonesians and Arabs is common. Traditional meals are eaten on
the floor and eaten with spoons from a large communal plate. Ro – rice
mixed with herbs and leaves – is the base of most meals, and Ravitoto –
meat and herbs – is generally its counterpart. No beverages accompany the
meal, but there is a popular drink called Ranonapango which is made by
burning rice.

*Afghanistan*

The country’s neighbors, the Pashtuns, Tajiks and Uzbeks, heavily influence
Afghanistan’s <http://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-afghanistan/> menu.
India’s spices such as saffron, coriander, cardamom and black pepper are
also prevalent as well as naan, an Indian flat bread that can be made in a
wide variety. Rice is present in most meals, and lamb is the preferred meat.

Perhaps the most popular dish in Afghanistan is qabli pulao, a streamed
rice dish topped with raisins, carrots and some kind of meat. Kababs are
also a local favorite, ranging from lamb, ribs or chicken and served with a
side of naan. Qorma is a dish made up of a bed of fried onions and layered
with fruit, meat, spices and vegetables.

In many of the world’s poorest countries, there is only one meal a day. The
women in a family traditionally will start cooking first thing in the
morning, and the day’s meal is eaten in the early afternoon. Many times
food is eaten with the hands out of communal bowls, making clean water a
great necessity for public health and hygiene. Sharing food is a sign of
respect and welcome so that guests are often fed at the cost of the family
going hungry. Food is important in every nation as it binds us together at
the same time that it allows us to demonstrate our heritage and creativity.

*– Lydia Caswell*
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