Surging food prices force Liberians to eat spaghetti

by Iva Skoch on

If you had to choose one, would you go for rice or pasta?

The rapid increase in food prices world wide might not be affecting the West much, but in many countries around the globe, it means changing their life-long habits and switching to cheaper foods, BBC reports.

For example, Liberia, which imports 90% of its rice from Asia and the US, saw prices more than double in the last six months, making it out of reach for ordinary Liberians. So they turn to pasta.

Spaghetti shacks are apparently springing up everywhere in working-class Monrovia. Liberians like to prepare their spaghetti “the Liberian way”, with lots of African chili pepper and cut into pieces to make it easier to eat.

Don’t be surprised if the next Italian celebrity chef comes from Liberia.

Hitting Where it Hurts: Italians Protest Rise in Pasta Prices

by Catherine Bodry on

If you’re traveling to Italy soon, you may have to decide what side of the picket line you’re on.

In protest of rising prices of the country’s favorite starch, many Italians passed up the noodle aisle on Thursday. Outraged that rising wheat prices mean a plate of spaghetti will almost certainly go up in the next few months, even if by only a few cents, citizens held demonstrations across the country.

Consumer groups hailed the boycott as successful, with an informal poll outside supermarkets showing that at least half of customers did not bought a package of pasta. Even Justice Minister Clemente Mastella said he supported the cause by skipping his favorite Neapolitan dish of pasta tubes stuffed with tomatoes and ricotta.

Could you do that?

Read the full article at Reuters.