ProverbHuman Nature
German origin
German originHunger ist der beste Koch
Meaning: When you are really hungry, any food tastes good.
Literally: Hunger is the best cook
Example: “Nach der langen Wanderung schmeckte sogar das trockene Brot. Hunger ist der beste Koch.” — After the long hike even dry bread tasted good: hunger is the best sauce.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and 3 more languages
English: Hunger is the best sauce
French: Il n'est sauce que d'appétit (literally: There is no sauce but appetite)
Spanish: A buen hambre no hay pan duro (literally: To a good hunger there is no hard bread)
Japanese: 空腹は最高の調味料 (Kūfuku wa saikō no chōmiryō) (literally: Hunger is the best seasoning)
Portuguese: A fome é o melhor tempero (literally: Hunger is the best seasoning)
Dutch: Honger is de beste saus (literally: Hunger is the best sauce)
Russian: Голод — лучший повар (Golod — luchshiy povar) (literally: Hunger is the best cook)
Polish: Głód najlepszy kucharz (literally: Hunger is the best cook)
Origin: The idea goes back to antiquity: Cicero reports that Socrates called hunger the best seasoning for food and thirst the best for drink. English makes hunger the sauce; German makes it the cook.
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