Not Just Your Typical Frozen TV Dinner

In many of the world’s poorest countries, there is only one meal a day. Many times food is eaten with the hands out of communal bowls, making clean water a great necessity for public health and hygiene. Check out what people are eating in these 8 developing nations.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

-Virginia Woolf

In today's society, food is everywhere you turn. From driving down the highway to walking down the street, billboards and posters captivate audiences with just one glance. Food is deeply integrated into all cultures, and it's often the poorest countries that take the most pride in their meals. If the worlds poor could showcase their cuisine masterpieces for the world to see, my guess is that they would look a little something like this:

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Via bbc.com

Cassava (above) is the staple food, though Arabic, French and Asian influences can also be tasted in Congolese cuisine. It's common to grill or boil insects such as caterpillar, crickets and grasshoppers while bananas and local vegetables are common.

Via afrikathome.com

A simple dish, called Saka Saka is made from cassava leaves cooked with palm oil and peanut sauce.

Zimbabwe

Via dmvafricans.com

This 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 as well, making this a typical dinner top course.

Via seriouseats.com

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.

Liberia

Via liberiaprogress.org

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.

Eritrea

Via cafebellamason.com

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.

Central African Republic

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

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, chilies, okra and peanuts are gradationally used to add flavor.

Malawi

Via answersafrica.com

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, 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 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. Traditionally, the women in a family 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.

Sources: MapsOfWorld, SAARC Tourism, Our Africa, The Borgen Project, Eritrea, Liberian Forum, EveryCulture, FoodByCountry, FoodSpring