Stories about Food from September, 2008
Lebanon: Hommus and Tabbouli
Lebanese blog Hommus & Tabbouli provides a list of mouth watering cuisine from Lebanon and beyond.
China: PR-ing Poisonous Milk
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
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.”
Tajikistan: Real number of people in trouble
Vadim uses statistics, open source data, news articles and logic to come to the conclusion that more than 20 percent of Tajikistan’s population is going to be in trouble if no assistance comes from international donors.
Bahamas: Culture of Agriculture
“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
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.”
India: Ramadan in Kolkata
Cuckoo's Call posts some photos of Ramadan in Calcutta (Kolkata).
Ripples of the China Milk Scandal in Africa
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.
Bahrain: Mystery of the bowls
Maldita, a Filipina married to a Bahraini, has discovered why the plates and bowls at family gatherings never match.
Mexico: Memories of Tijuana
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.
China: Best for enterprises lacking conscience just to die
David Bandurski from China Media Project translated a column article by Liu Yibin at China Youth Daily which suggested that “it would be best for enterprises lacking conscience just to die.” Many netizens echoed with the suggestion.
Russia: Sakhalin Salmon
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
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
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
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?
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
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
“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.
China: Chinese Websites Trapped In Milk Powder Gate
ESWN translated a local report from Southern Metropolis Daily on how Chinese search engines and websites are involved in the poisonous milk powder scandal.
Ukraine, Russia: Kvas
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
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...