Food and proverbs: From hunger to gluttony

Celebrated on June 18, the World Sustainable Gastronomy Day intends to draw attention to the ways of growing, transporting and consuming food. This greater awareness of the path that food takes from its origins to our plate can generate contributions in the fields of food security, nutrition, adequate food production and conservation of biodiversity, says a note from the European Information Centre.No United Nations website, an attempt is made to answer questions such as “Why should I care about that?”, remembering that, according to projections, by 2050 there will be 9 billion mouths to feed in the world. And yet, about a third of the food currently produced ends up wasted or in the trash. And there is also another side of the coin: the growing problem of obesity. For all these reasons, it is urgent to raise awareness of the more rational use of natural resources – supporting local producers – and of food itself, promoting healthy eating.

An inexhaustible proverbial recipe book

Portugal is a country recognized for its gastronomy, but our text is not about recipes: it is about words. In our proverbs, food is the BIG theme. The Dictionary of Maxims, Adages and Proverbs lists 789 proverbs on the subject. It is the category with the highest number of entries; not even love can overcome it (447 entries). And, if we add the proverbs collected by Major Jaime Hespanha on the subject of agriculture, there are over 542, with a few hundred dictating when to sow or what to pick. often associated with savings and life lessons. «Save money in the kitchen and you’ll enlarge your little house», he defends himself, because «The fatter the kitchen is, the thinner the will is». Let’s face it, sometimes we fill the plate too much, right? «Who eats and leaves, sets the table twice», could well be the title of a cookbook on the use of leftovers.

Money dictates what is put on the table

Gluttony, one of the mortal sins of Christianity, lurks in maxims such as “Eat to live, don’t live to eat” or the more sententious and funereal “The graves are full of great suppers”. Spending too much on food won’t be good for the purse either: “The crazy give feasts, and the wise eat them.” It is that «Much eats the fool, but more foolish is he who gives it». The wisest thing would be for everyone to spend what they can – “Govern your mouth according to your purse.” – but also not to skimp too much on what you shouldn’t. After all, human beings need to eat to survive, which is why «It would be better to die ruined than live starving». For the people, in times of scarcity there should be no privileges for some and torments for others: «Eat the bad morsel who ate the good.” But in the real world, wealth and poverty are not a matter of justice, and if “the rich man eats; the poor feeds”. On too many occasions, in too many parts of the world, “hunger does not wait for the time of plenty”. This is the time to draw on imagination, on ingenuity – «Hunger is the best seasoning» –, for what is said that «Hunger is a good cook».

Luxuries and riches? Some call them a crime

«With sugar and honey, even stones taste good», recalls a proverb with no practical use, but which serves to pave the way for the crudity of a «Who is hungry, eats everything». What can be really useful is to think a little more about gastronomy, preferably sustainable, theme intrinsically linked to the world economy; It is a topic on which we can all have an impact, in the way we buy and consume. «Watch what to eat, don’t keep what to do» impels us to action. And the Coleccao de Pensamentos, Máximas e Proverbios, organized by the adviser José Joaquim Rodrigues de Bastos in 1841, already contained some proverbs of social and political intervention: «A real spent on luxury will be a crime, as long as there is someone among you who is hungry. »«Hunger arrives at the door of the official, but does not dare to enter.»«The table of the rich insults the hunger of the poor.»Read more: Dating, weddings and a patron saint full of legends

An old proverb that became popular song

Apparently, the Portuguese riffon player has been raising awareness for a long time in relation to sustainable agriculture, food waste, hunger, inequality. But, so the meal doesn’t get too heavy, let’s close with a curiosity: if you happen to know a popular song that talks about cod and garlic in the chorus, know that it’s not a trick or modern pun: the dictionary compiled by Major Hespanha , in 1936, already refers to the said proverb, in the form “Codfish wants garlic”. from «Combining hunger with the desire to eat».Read more: New year, new life? Neither 8 nor 80… Paulo M. Morais grew up playing street football and listening to proverbs told by his grandmothers. He graduated in Social Communication and specialized in the areas of cinema, videogames and gastronomy. He is the author of novels and non-fiction books. He collects board games and continues to watch many movies. He likes to cook, look at the sea, read. The information contained in the article is not binding and does not invalidate the full reading of documents that support the matter in question.