Destination: Port au Prince, Haiti / Location: Cite Soleil, Haiti / Cost: 5 cents a piece
Particularly poor communities in Haiti consider mud cookies a real treat - and while it seems a bit unfathomable to first-world or Western minds to eat mud, this wonderful lady was happy to tell us about how they're made and posed for me while they were out drying in the hot sun. In Haiti's worst slums, they eat mud cookies to survive (see here). Made of dirt, butter and sugar (if ingredients are on hand), these cookies hold little nutritional value, but have been known to diffuse hunger pangs for locals.
Note: unless you have a very high tolerance for bacteria and an especially strong immune system, we don't recommend eating these cookies to avoid the likelihood of getting sick.
It is unbelievable that people have to go to these lengths - and more so that it is a common thing for them to do. Quite a sobering tasty tuesday this week!
ReplyDeletethank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteOkay now that's harsh.
ReplyDelete