Meals are a reflection of the place and time in which we live. Cooking is culture. When we read *The Cuisine of the Poor*, we learn about the original purpose of food: to ensure our survival. Using the ingredients available to us, we must prepare the best possible—and above all, the most nutritious—meal. Furthermore, grains and legumes are the most important staple foods for people worldwide. Yet these staple foods are not available in sufficient quantities to everyone. Children continue to be particularly hard hit by poverty and hunger.
In this book, which was first published in the 1970s and has now been reissued, the author examines the diets of poor people and the unequal distribution of resources around the world. She takes a look into the pots of the poorest of the poor across the globe. However, malnutrition is not always attributable solely to imbalances in distribution; sometimes it is also due to harvest-related fluctuations between abundance and scarcity or an improper dietary composition. In addition, traditional customs, prejudices, ignorance, or dietary taboos often play a role. For example, preservation techniques such as fermentation or acidification are not universally trusted around the world.

This is by no means to suggest that the hungry are themselves to blame when food is scarce; yet in many parts of the world, hunger is the result of centuries of ignorance, which has led to the desolation of areas once described as paradisiacal, like the Garden of Eden. Humans are themselves slaughtering the goose that could lay golden eggs. In many regions, there is a shortage not only of fertile soil but also of trained farmers. A balance between working and “passive” members is necessary in every society. The former, however, must not only be competent and well-trained but also resilient and in good health to be able to fulfill their duties.
No matter which heaven they pray to—the average life expectancy of the uprooted, the downtrodden, the destitute, or the ragged of this world is 40 years. Hunger is an age-old companion of humanity; therefore, our social conscience is soothed by the thought of having alleviated the hunger of the poor. Satisfying this basic need is undoubtedly a top priority. Yet even if one wishes to believe that this alleviates their deprivation, one must admit that a hungry person without a meaningful worldview or religion is even worse off. Therefore, it is not just a matter of filling stomachs, but also of intellectual exchange.

The book, in which we can read how to prepare a delicious peanut soup, highlights the enduring relevance of the topic. The call to “eat more plant-based foods” fits perfectly into today’s debates. A balanced and, at the same time, climate-friendly diet should not be a privilege of the wealthy.

“The Peoples Cookbook - The Cuisine of the Poor” describes the art of simple cooking through 300 recipes from around the world.

Published by März Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-7550-0018-1