Off the Cuff: Straight from the rubbish pile

A group of environmentalists in Spain occasionally gathers for an al fresco junk food dining experience. No, they don’t binge on burgers and fries. Instead, they literally eat food that has been junked. It’s their way of promoting moderate, responsible consumption.

This kind of news item should strike a chord with people living here in Dubai where wastage is a huge problem. We read so many letters to editors and other articles on this topic which highlight a concern which needs to be addressed.

In May 2011, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report said too many shopkeepers and consumers were throwing out food that was perfectly fit to eat. We are extremely conscious of expiry dates and that is one of the first things we check when making a purchase. In fact, many products going cheap at supermarkets are those nearing their deadline. It is hard to consciously keep something that may be detrimental to our health. Add to this the fact that we live in a hot, humid climate and there’s little chance of our taking such a risk.

The ‘green’ group mentioned earlier went waste bin hopping, ferreting through the disposal bins of food shops. They found kilos of Swiss chards, apricots, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. The next day they held a free dining experience in a park. On the menu was cream of aubergine soup, vegetable and fruit salad. Sounds mouth-watering until you learn about the where the ingredients were sourced from.

The idea of what we would consider scavenging is anathema to many of us. Although we have grown up with the mantra of ‘waste not, want not’, we have never been fed food whose freshness was suspect. In fact, across many communities in India, the thought of eating or drinking anything tasted or sipped by someone else is a big no-no. I have had friends in school and college who would refuse to share a bottle of water even if it was the last one going unless everyone agreed to drink without letting the mouth come into contact with the container. The word ‘jhoota’ means many things back home, including ‘unclean’ or ‘soiled’. It is used often in situations where it would be hard to suppress a shudder if you were offered an aerated drink, for example, by someone whose lips had just been glued to the can.

The art of drinking a liquid this way, letting a steady stream flow into one’s mouth, is one mastered by a majority back home. However, I must admit this is one skill I have not been able to acquire. I have tried it but have ended up with water spewing all over my face, evoking laughter from onlookers. However, I have always enjoyed watching those who effortlessly quaff from a bottle held directly above the mouth. The sleek movement of muscles working in the neck as the liquid goes down is fascinating to behold. So, when it comes to sharing, I will patiently wait for everyone who is picky to have their fill and then quench my thirst.

I don’t remember my family being over particular about eating from each other’s plate or grabbing a bite from an unsuspecting sibling. And yet the thought of rummaging through rubbish makes even my hardened stomach turn, however much you may assure me there’s a gold mine out there.

So, the next time you receive an invitation from me, you can be sure it won’t entail us foraging through the neighbourhood landfill and shouting with glee each time we retrieve a food item that looks good enough to ingest. I think I’d rather go hungry than resort to such extremes. And, for those who know my appetite, well, this says a lot.