Famine food

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Breads made of orache and bran, fried on machine oil, were used as food in sieged Leningrad

Noun Food Shortage

Famine food, colloquially known as poverty food, refers to affordable or accessible food sources consumed during periods of severe deprivation, such as famines, wars, or economic downturns. These foods, though serving as crucial sustenance during hard times, often become stigmatized due to the associations with the struggles during which they were consumed. Consequently, many are eschewed or downplayed as valid food sources during more prosperous times.

The label of "famine" or "poverty" food often arises from societal perceptions rather than the inherent qualities of the food itself. Interestingly, certain foods, like lobster, shift between being viewed as luxury items in some contexts and poverty foods in others. This fluidity demonstrates the strong influence of societal dynamics on food classification.

Characteristics

While many associate famine foods with unpalatable taste or poor nutrition, this isn't always the case. Many of these foods are nutritionally adequate and could be beneficial components of a diversified diet. However, due to prolonged and monotonous consumption during hard times, these foods often acquire a negative connotation, causing people to avoid them long after the hardship has ended.

Historical Examples

Throughout history, various foods have been designated as famine foods due to their association with specific periods of hardship:

• The breadnut or Maya nut was a staple for the ancient Mayans but has since been stigmatized in modern Central America.
• Rutabagas, a key food source during World War I and II in Europe, have become particularly unpopular in Germany.
• In Polynesia, when taro crops failed, plants from the Xanthosoma genus, locally known as ʻape, became the go-to.
• Despite its pungent smell and bitter taste, the noni fruit was often a fallback food, leading to its moniker "starvation fruit".
• The nara melon in southern Africa sometimes becomes a last-resort food.
• During the Irish Potato Famine (1846-1848), coastal peasants consumed various edible kelps like dulse and Irish moss.
• The Sego lily bulbs were the Mormon pioneers' emergency food.
• In the dire "hunger winter" of 1944-45 in German-occupied Netherlands, tulip bulbs and sugar beets were consumed.
• Bark bread or Pettuleipä, made from a mix of rye flour and pine tree components, symbolizes a quintessential Scandinavian famine food.
• Foods such as lobster on the Atlantic coast of Canada and Maine, once seen as poverty food, underwent a perception transformation over time.
• Jared Diamond, in his work Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, proposed that the Greenland Norse society's downfall partially stemmed from the disdain for seafood, perceived as a poverty food.
• During various Russian and Soviet Union famines, wild plants like nettle and orache became essential for bread and soups.
• Spam became a UK wartime staple due to fresh meat scarcity. Its modern use has since evolved.
• Extreme situations like World War II saw northern Italian regions resorting to consuming animals like cats. Similarly, the Siege of Paris included a diet of cats, dogs, rats, and even exotic animals like camels and elephants.
• In Malaya, under Japanese occupation, locals turned to roots like cassava, sweet potato, and yam due to rice shortages.
• Dandelions, despite their bitter taste, served as crucial nutrition during dire times. Authors like Primo Levi and Malcolm X have touched upon their importance in their writings.
• The Grasspea, though edible, poses neurotoxic risks with regular consumption.
• Nettles, though edible, were typically consumed only during times of severe hardship.
• In the Maldives, leaves of coastal trees like the Octopus Bush and Beach Cabbage were historically consumed during famines.

Societal Implications

The phenomenon of famine foods underscores the powerful influence of societal perceptions on food choices. While many of these foods provide vital nutrition, their association with hardship often overshadows their potential value in regular diets. This dynamic reveals the intricate ways in which food, culture, and history intersect, dictating dietary choices and preferences.

See also

• Peasant foods
• Staple food
• Taboo food and drink