Dishes/Recipes Created out of Poverty?

[Rose Tamuno]

What a great topic! Growing up we were pretty poor and I remember that my dad was famous for 'Chef's Surprise'. It was literally anything we had in the fridge left over from previous meals, all chopped up and cooked together into a hash of sorts. It inevitably had either rice or potatoes as a base with some sort of veggie and/or meat added in. I remember times when it was more like fried rice because we'd have an onion, carrot and egg and that was all, so in the pan it all went.
Now my go to is making soups. They go a lot longer and there are just so many variations. I can make a pot of soup that will last the family for a few days and it will cost maybe $10-12. Thankfully I've never had to resort to the all time cheapest soup (in my mind at least) Cabbage Soup, although it's come close!

It seems like our realities growing up and now are similar.

[Rose Tamuno]

My opinion has always been that any traditional food is born from poverty. When you think of traditional food of any country or region, it's always local produce, seasonal, hearty, often not containing any meat. Where I come from we eat a lot of potatoes, cabbage, cheese, eggs, wild mushrooms. It varies with location. So if you want to eat cheap, make everything from scratch, it's cheaper, healthier and tastier than pre- or ready-made, buy local produce and choose seasonal. If you want to lower the expenses, cut on meat, use beans, eggs, or cheese, whatever it is that you have available. Make onion instead of meat gravy. Choose cheap cuts of meat and learn how to prepare them (usually cheap cuts are the tough ones, and need slow cooking, simmering, like in stews). Soups are a great thing, cheap, filling, tasty, easy to make and reheat.

I agree with you, but those food are kind of nutritious and healthy if you ask me.

[Jakub Bystrowski]

We made garri but we couldn't afford soup. So we used water and cray fish mixed with pepper. I loved it .

[Liza Chulukhadze]

I am from Georgia and a few years ago people struggled with poverty. I have heard from my parents how they would substitute cheese with macaron, cakes with bread with butter and sugar and all sorts of things.

[Marquesa]

Well, some of the most popular dishes in the world are result of poverty, where people had to be extra creative to cook a meal. Look at Italian, Mexican or some other cuisines where such dishes are pride of the local cuisine. There is nothing wrong with "cuicina povera".

[Bookreader1433]

Where I live, many traditional foods were created during tough times and don't cost much to make. We have foods like; string hoppers, coconut sambal, and other foods.

[Dangel Tejares]

Ingredients:
- Eggs (usually 2)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional fillings: shredded cheese, tomatoes,

Begin it with crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork or whisk until the yolks and whites are well combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Next is to fry it and it should be followed by adding your desired fillings on one-half of the egg like an omelette style. Fold the egg! It is cheap and easy to cook!

[Kelvinna]

Alot of food are been made out of poverty this day and it really funny I can relate.

[Ika Apro]

For me it is butter spread on bread slice and then you sprinkle sugar on it by taste. That was the best cake during poverty or no time.