National Geographic Photographs Kitchens Around The World To Show The Hearts Of Homes

Kitchens are often referred to as the center of the home, which brings people together. But it's also an indicator of how secure people are with food and whether they may be struggling to put together their next meal or not.

In honor of World Food Day on October 16, National Geographic published a series of photos, showcasing what kitchens look like around the world. It's fascinating to compare the differences and similarities between these spaces. For example, some contain modern, high-tech appliances, and others are minimal and limited.

A National Geographic photographer snapped a picture of a family in Pakistan preparing chapati — an Indian thin flatbread drizzled with apricot oil. A family in Coober Pedy, Australia, was photographed eating in an underground kitchen in 1963. In a rural village in Romania, a bare kitchen is settled in the corner of a home.

It's even interesting to note the differences in kitchens here in the U.S. In Osage, Iowa, a mother had to resort to foraging for food to feed her four children because she and her husband are unemployed. Not far away, in Lincoln, Nebraska, a boy featured in the photo stands up by his pantry, which implies that many Americans are more food secure than other parts of the world.

National Geographic's photos are meant to raise awareness about World Food Day, which  is the international day of action to end hunger. About one in nine people around the world suffer from chronic hunger, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.