· September, 2008

Stories about Food from September, 2008

China: PR-ing Poisonous Milk

  30 September 2008

David Bandurski from China media project wrote a detailed article about Sanlu's public relation strategy in creating the high-quality image of its milk products and showed how the media is conspired in relaying the lie.

Bangladesh: Five layered tea

  29 September 2008

Claire b writes in Travel Blog about her recent trip to Srimongol in Sylhet division where the tea-estates are in Bangladesh: “My guide urged me to try the 5 colored (layered) tea apparently famous in the region..it was one of the best cups/glasses of tea I’ve had.”

Bahamas: Culture of Agriculture

  29 September 2008

“There’s a myth, see, in the world, see, that says that technology is hierarchically stacked and that agriculture is better than horticulture which is better than foraging and fishing…and in this world, it’s true that agriculture failed in The Bahamas. But what nobody tells you is why it failed.”: Nicolette...

Ethiopia: Food aid as a weapon of war

  27 September 2008

Can food aid be used as a weapon of war? Ethiopian blogger, Enset writes: “It looks like the Woyane rulers of Ethiopia have taken a calculated risk in using food aid as a weapon in the war against the Ogaden rebels.”

Ripples of the China Milk Scandal in Africa

  26 September 2008

In China, an estimated 13,000 children have fallen ill since the tainted milk scandal broke. Chinese influence has grown in Africa in recent years, as have imports of all kinds products, from running shoes to instant noodles. Bloggers as far afield as Congo and Senegal, concerned about the safety of Chinese products in their countries, are closely following the story.

Mexico: Memories of Tijuana

  25 September 2008

JC Cortes of Cargamento [es] writes about his best memories of the Mexican border town of Tijuana. These memories especially include trips to his favorite taqueria to feast on shrimp tacos.

Russia: Sakhalin Salmon

  24 September 2008

White Sun of the Desert writes about “the Sakhalin salmon run” season: “This is a time when huge nets are slung across river-mouths to be lifted by crane and emptied by the ton into lorries, the operators of such activities having either paid huge sums of money for licenses to...

China: Infant Formula Scandal Highlights Decline in Breastfeeding

  24 September 2008

Health authorities in China reported this week that nearly 53,000 children have become sick after consuming tainted infant formula. As the effects of these contaminated dairy products become more widespread, many are discussing the alternative to formula — breastfeeding. The scandal erupted earlier this month when Sanlu, China's top-selling infant...

Madagascar: All along the street

  24 September 2008

Dago Tiako describes street activities in Madagascar: “Suddenly, you notice lots of people making a circle. You think there must be an accident. You come nearer to se what’s going on. In the middle of the circle, there is a man almost nude (he is wearing only a little pair...

Madagascar: All along the street

  24 September 2008

Dago Tiako describes street activities in Madagascar: “Suddenly, you notice lots of people making a circle. You think there must be an accident. You come nearer to se what’s going on. In the middle of the circle, there is a man almost nude (he is wearing only a little pair...

Senegal: Would you mind fasting with us?

  24 September 2008

George writes about Ramadan in Senegal: “This Ramadan in Dakar, I had a most interesting invitation from a couple of friends. “…Would you mind fasting with us?”, they asked. What was the significance of this invitation?”

Japan: Manga teaches children danger of fast food

  24 September 2008

Japanese blogger and author Chiki Ogiue [荻上チキ] scans an educational manga book he stumbled on at an eco cafe [ja] that teaches children good dietary habits with incredibly frank visual messages and storylines, emphasizing the danger of fast food and the value of eating rice, among other things. Webpage of...

Barbados: Food Security

  24 September 2008

“Government needs to put together a strategic plan to respond to short, medium and long-term demands of the agricultural industry”: Barbados Underground is concerned about food security.

Ukraine, Russia: Kvas

  23 September 2008

Darkness at Noon posts an ode to kvas: “To be sure, kvas is the national drink of the East Slavic peoples. Vodka doesn't count because it is consumed largely for its well-documented medicinal benefits. Or at least this is what a local guide in Odessa recently told me. And while...

Belarus: Making it in the sausage competition

  22 September 2008

LJ user luchecon received a phone call [RUS] from his worried grandmother, that Belarus is cutting down the meat content in its sausage production, because it cannot meet the price competition with Russian sausages’ lower meat level. As it turns out, Belarus has a meat deficit, substituting it already with...