The next time you scrunch up your nose at what's on the table, chew on this - if you lived in Haiti, one of the poorest nations on earth, the best delicacy on the table (if there is a table) could possibly be 'Mud Cakes'.
City Soleil’s population remains unknown – most estimates range between 300,000 and 400,000 – but for those crammed within its limits, life is utterly miserable.
These mud cakes are made by mixing a special type of mud with salt, margarine and water. They are then stirred into a 'batter', spooned onto large sheets and sun dried. In the local language, these are called 'Galette'. The locals also believe this mud to be rich in minerals and have medicinal properties and thus they do not eat these only when famished. For years, pregnant women in Haiti have been consuming these mud cakes in an attempt to get more calcium in their bodies. Whether it is truly a source of calcium or any nutrition at all, is yet to be proven.
Whether it be for medicinal reasons or just to keep starvation at bay, it is a humbling thought that somewhere in the world, people are living by literally eating mud. This, especially in times when as much as 1.3 billion tonnes of food gets wasted across the world, a staggering one-third of all food produced for human consumption. If one could find a way to somehow bridge the gap between food wastage and the under-nourished, perhaps that would be 'development' worth being proud of.
Sources:
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/mud-cake-a-delicacy-made-with-mud-in-poverty-stricken-haiti-1437242
https://newint.org/features/2014/07/01/haiti-fighting-for-change