4 ms·

What you're seeing is a lack of food culture. America just does not have good, healthy, delicious, food for the poor.

kamaal 15y ago
I don't think that's true. Speaking of India, I can tell you since I'm from India... You can't possibly imagine the food crisis here. We are nation of people with millions of people not having access to even to meal even once a day. And that is not by option, but they simply have no way out. We have farmers committing suicide almost everyday, there is no water or very scanty amounts of water in many parts of the country. Unlike the US where is there is proper planning and good infrastructure(Irrigation, equipment, fertilizers, information, equipment etc) for agriculture. Farmers here back in India are purely dependent upon rains(Monsoons) and ancient methods of planting seeds(using cows). The land is often passed on from generations to generation and undergoes division as a part of inheritance due to which most farmers never get a large chunck of land. Adding all this the farmer productivity is very low, there is no support from the government, no rains, no equipment etc etc. And Farmers really are very poor and not as productive as ones in US. And prior to this there was slavery sort of set up, where you give away your whole life for a land lord. The country is very big, and there are too many people. The prices keep on rising. The middle class can't afford even grains and vegetables let alone meat and other stuff. The poor hardly get a meal a day. And few just eat a single roti(Indian flat bread) with salt for the whole day. Compared to this the Americans are feasting everyday. AMERICANS ARE LUCKY, I repeat AMERICANS ARE LUCKY. You are lucky to be eating stomach full everyday, You are lucky to be worrying about iPhones and not hunger and diseases. Be grateful to God and thankful. There are many places in the world where there aren't even the most basic necessities what you take for granted.
- kailashbadu 15y ago
  You are talking about prosperity not the food culture. Yes most Indians still may have hard time making their ends meet but launch and dinner are an important element of Indian culture. Launch time and dinner time are important parts of your daily schedule even if your day job is to plough your own fields.
radicaldreamer 15y ago
Interesting... or maybe it's the lack of processed food choices in other countries? Food providers/chains have not optimized for scale and price yet?
- kamaal 15y ago
  I don't know about the whole asia, but processed food is very scanty in India. Most of the processed food is Jams, Ketchups etc. Which is hardly consumed by the poor. But unlike the US its very easy to buy fresh stuff here.
  - RealGeek 15y ago
    Processed food is expensive in India. I had to shell out $6 for a small can of salsa dip. Vegetables and fruits are cheaper in India than most western countries, but of much inferior quality,
- potatolicious 15y ago
  That's at least part of it. A lot of it is also time - the poor eat unhealthy foods due to a combination of cost (processed foods are cheaper) and time (fast food is faster). When you're holding down 2 jobs and juggling a couple of kids, it doesn't really leave a lot of room for a home cooked meal, even if you could purchase healthy ingredients cheaply. I just got back from a two-week trip to Asia that's been fairly eye-opening for myself. There are a lot of small-scale catering services that fill this specific void: affordable, healthy (relatively, they're certainly winning no medals) food for busy people. I hate to say it, but the lack of regulation plays a lot into it. Because every housewife with some spare time can take on a few clients, it creates price competition like there's no tomorrow. Yes, it really does become caveat emptor (health inspections? hah!), but the lack of regulation does create more easily accessible, healthier eating.
  - JoeAltmaier 15y ago
    Health inspectors say nothing about unhealthy junk food which kills you over months, just bacteria that can make you sick today. Compared to eating good Indian food, I'd say Mumbai's system works as well or better - trust Mother to treat you right.

I don't think that's true. Speaking of India, I can tell you since I'm from India... You can't possibly imagine the food crisis here. We are nation of people with millions of people not having access to even to meal even once a day. And that is not by option, but they simply have no way out. We have farmers committing suicide almost everyday, there is no water or very scanty amounts of water in many parts of the country. Unlike the US where is there is proper planning and good infrastructure(Irrigation, equipment, fertilizers, information, equipment etc) for agriculture. Farmers here back in India are purely dependent upon rains(Monsoons) and ancient methods of planting seeds(using cows). The land is often passed on from generations to generation and undergoes division as a part of inheritance due to which most farmers never get a large chunck of land. Adding all this the farmer productivity is very low, there is no support from the government, no rains, no equipment etc etc. And Farmers really are very poor and not as productive as ones in US. And prior to this there was slavery sort of set up, where you give away your whole life for a land lord. The country is very big, and there are too many people. The prices keep on rising. The middle class can't afford even grains and vegetables let alone meat and other stuff. The poor hardly get a meal a day. And few just eat a single roti(Indian flat bread) with salt for the whole day. Compared to this the Americans are feasting everyday. AMERICANS ARE LUCKY, I repeat AMERICANS ARE LUCKY. You are lucky to be eating stomach full everyday, You are lucky to be worrying about iPhones and not hunger and diseases. Be grateful to God and thankful. There are many places in the world where there aren't even the most basic necessities what you take for granted.

kailashbadu 15y ago
You are talking about prosperity not the food culture. Yes most Indians still may have hard time making their ends meet but launch and dinner are an important element of Indian culture. Launch time and dinner time are important parts of your daily schedule even if your day job is to plough your own fields.

radicaldreamer 15y ago

Interesting... or maybe it's the lack of processed food choices in other countries? Food providers/chains have not optimized for scale and price yet?

kamaal 15y ago
I don't know about the whole asia, but processed food is very scanty in India. Most of the processed food is Jams, Ketchups etc. Which is hardly consumed by the poor. But unlike the US its very easy to buy fresh stuff here.
- RealGeek 15y ago
  Processed food is expensive in India. I had to shell out $6 for a small can of salsa dip. Vegetables and fruits are cheaper in India than most western countries, but of much inferior quality,
potatolicious 15y ago
That's at least part of it. A lot of it is also time - the poor eat unhealthy foods due to a combination of cost (processed foods are cheaper) and time (fast food is faster). When you're holding down 2 jobs and juggling a couple of kids, it doesn't really leave a lot of room for a home cooked meal, even if you could purchase healthy ingredients cheaply. I just got back from a two-week trip to Asia that's been fairly eye-opening for myself. There are a lot of small-scale catering services that fill this specific void: affordable, healthy (relatively, they're certainly winning no medals) food for busy people. I hate to say it, but the lack of regulation plays a lot into it. Because every housewife with some spare time can take on a few clients, it creates price competition like there's no tomorrow. Yes, it really does become caveat emptor (health inspections? hah!), but the lack of regulation does create more easily accessible, healthier eating.
- JoeAltmaier 15y ago
  Health inspectors say nothing about unhealthy junk food which kills you over months, just bacteria that can make you sick today. Compared to eating good Indian food, I'd say Mumbai's system works as well or better - trust Mother to treat you right.