I used to live in Azerbaijan, where hospitality really WAS a core cultural value. Having a Guest was a BIG DEAL...

"Then there was a sudden movement. A woman, an old babushka, pushed herself through the crowd to the Russian soldiers guarding the pavement and said, "Let me through." Then this bent old woman rushed across to one of the gaunt German prisoners, and everybody held their breath. What was she going to do? Slap him? Spit on him? She reached into her shawl and took out a crust of black bread, which she then pushed awkwardly into the pocket of the soldier, so exhausted that he was