Interdisciplinary street food

Those of you who've tracked my blog(s) (past and current) know my passion for food. Food is the ultimate interdisciplinarian. Environment and society and economics and health find common ground when we eat. Thinking about the connection between farmers and food stamps and nature shouldn't be a challenge as we munch on fresh fruit. When I was fundraising at churches for my work with A Rocha, I frequently re-framed politicized issues such as climate change in terms of eating. We all need to eat, and most of us can recognize the natural source of nourishment that is the earth - regardless of politics, economics, or opinion.

This week, San Fransisco is hosting the first ever Street Food Conference . Attendees discuss urban public space, cultural differences of street food across the globe, and marketplaces. My favorite food blog, Epicurious (*cough...thus my blog's name) highlighted some quotes from this event that express the unique role food plays in our lives:

"40 percent of the consumer diet in the developing world is street food."

"The sun goes down, the market catches fire," on the night market in Marrakesh.

"The night market allows us to have families outside of our families," on the sociability of the night market in Marrakesh.

Happy eating.