Let people eat

ABC 189: On the universal language of food

“In the worst conditions you can imagine — after hurricanes, earthquakes, bombs and gunfire — the best of humanity shows up. Not once or twice but always.”

When I read the first line of José Andrés’s rousing op-ed following the death of seven World Central Kitchen Workers this week, I immediately remembered a conversation I had in the foothills of the Himalayas in 2015. 

I was in Nepal reporting on the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that had just devastated the country. An aid worker told me there are two definitions of community: those united by a shared cause and those united by shared space. Disasters often bring those two definitions together.

In these times of conflict and polarization, it can be easy to focus on what separates us, but Andrés’s work—and this piece in particular—reminded me of our shared humanity. From the eggs on Easter to the eggs on the Seder plates to the eggs eaten after iftar dinners, we all speak a common language.

Here’s the piece: Let People Eat

Warmly,
Simo 

P.S. The next cohort of my course, Designing Your Next Career Step, kicks off on May 1st. ABC readers get $50 off with this link until April 15th.

P.P.S. The song of the week is a love song from Austin’s Wild Child. It’s the kind of modern oldie that sounds like it was written for a bygone era. The full songs of the week playlist is here.