TIME's "What the world eats"

Update: picture quality improved. .. Click pictures for full size.

Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips



Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat



Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Family recipe: Okra and mutton



Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage



Breidjing Refugee Camp, Chad: United Nations Food Distribution Center. A refugee woman sifts through sand in order to pluck out any bits of grain which might have dropped to the ground during the previous day's ration disbursement.



Beijing, China: Snack Tray. From left: skewered sea horses, cicadas and silkworm pupae are sold at a street market in Beijing.



Check out all 27 families and 17 food settings at the photo essays at TIME.com: Part 1 (16 families), Part 2 (11 families), Part 3 (17 food settings).