From childhood, Mom taught us that every grain is hard-earned — treasure every meal.
Tips
history
From Li Shen's (李绅) Tang poem 《悯农·其二》 (Pitying the Farmer): 锄禾日当午，汗滴禾下土。谁知盘中餐，粒粒皆辛苦 — 'Hoeing grain at noon, sweat drips onto the soil beneath. Who knows that every grain on the plate is won with toil?' Every Chinese child learns this poem in primary school.
usage
The single most-quoted line in Chinese anti-food-waste messaging — posted in cafeterias, on dinner plates, in PSAs, and in parental scolding. Often follows 谁知盘中餐.
