Food habits in relation to culture and religion are amongst the oldest and deeply rooted aspects of a society with many variations worldwide. There are many similarities but yet many differences across all cultures and religions, for example both Jews and Muslims must not eat Pork or consume Blood, but in contrast a Muslim may eat shell-fish whereas a Jew cannot. Another contrast can be seen in the Hindu religion where orthodox followers are forbidden to consume any meat at all.
“Having well considered the origin of flesh foods, and the cruelty of fettering and slaying corporeal beings, let man entirely abstain from eating flesh.” - The Manusmrti (5.49)
In the Hindu religion a strict Caste system is followed and dictates who a person can eat with, who prepares a persons food, what sort of food is prepared for someone and who food can be accepted from. However for Hindu followers living in a western society it is not always possible to adhere to. For example pre-packed food or food from a canteen/restaurant would not be able to be purchased as it might have been prepared by someone of a lower caste. This is a good example of religion has to adapt to allow for the culture one lives in relation to food intake.
In China the staple diet remained relatively unchanged until as recently as 20 years ago when an influence from western culture has been allowed to infiltrate. Before outside influence the staple food was rice or wheat with meat apart from Beef, as Buddhism is the main religion, with many fresh fruits and vegetables. The foods are grouped according to their Yin and Yang values, for example most fruit, vegetables and Chinese herbal tea are seen as Yin, whereas Oily fish, meat and alcohol are seen as Yang. There are also some neutral foods such as White fish and rice. The key to the Chinese diet is to obtain a balance between the Yin and Yang forces.
The Muslim religion also has a system of classing foods, yet the classifications are lawful foods – Halal, and unlawful foods – Haram. The guidance for food laws come from the Qur’an and eating is considered a form of worship.
“Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food, a provision for you and the travellers, and the game of the land is forbidden to you so long as you are on pilgrimage, and be careful of your duty to Allah, to whom you shall be gathered.” – Qur’an
This quote from the Qur’an explains that while a Muslim is on a pilgrimage he may not consume and meat from land animals as it can not be slaughtered in the correct manner and is not therefore part of the true offerings to Allah.
There are many festivals in the Islamic calendar but perhaps the most well known is Ramadan where fasting must take place between the hours of sunrise and sunset. During this time special foods are purchased and it is customary to invite neighbours and friends to break the fast.
Followers of Judaism are also required to fast on the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Another Jewish festival is the Passover. This is an eight day festival of spring and freedom to celebrate the Jews breaking free from Egypt. Food which must be subjected to a leavening process is prohibited as it symbolises the hurry in which the Jews had to leave Egypt in. Any food that has been subjected to leavening or has come into contact with other leavened products must be removed from the house. It must be remembered that food forms an integral part of religion in life for a practising Jew.
“The Jewish food laws originate more than 2000 years ago and contribute to a formal code of behaviour that reinforces the identity of a Jewish community.” – www.betterhealth.vic.gov
Interestingly it is Japanese and Mediterranean people who eat in the traditional manner of their countries who have the highest life expectancy in the world. The two diets seem very different, but they have in common a relative absence of saturated fats and margarines, with an emphasis on fish, vegetables and fruit.
In the Japanese culture the focus is on the healing properties of food and is very health oriented. Presentation and preparation are unique and fish is often eaten raw in the form of sushi. The Mediterranean diet also contains lots of fish however it is prepared in a different way. These two very different cultures do have some common factors, such as climate, the hot weather requiring food to be eaten fresh and also a seemingly more laid back life style in comparison to the 24 hour society evolving in Britain where everything is demanded pre-prepared and ready to microwave.
People of any culture or religion simply do not consume food only for physiological reasons. Food, like anything else carries symbolic meaning besides its fundamental value. The meaning of food is derived from the culture and in some cases the religion of the consumer.
“It is apparent that if culture determines the morns of a particular group or nation then it will have an effect on what and why people buy particular products” – J Bareham (1995)
The foods people buy are strongly affected by the beliefs associated with them and these can be religious or otherwise. Religion can and does lead to avoidance/restriction and this has lead to the growth of specialist retailers selling only for example Halal foods. This can be seen in areas of the UK such as Rusholme in Manchester where the majority of the community are Muslim and a micro-culture has formed.
Culture encompasses the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of a particular group of people; these are learnt from birth but can go on changing throughout a person’s lifetime. Some values are common to all societies and some are particular to a specific set.
A common cultural value in western society which dominates what we purchase is ‘Healthiness’. Foods which are healthy or perceive to be healthy are held in high regard and are sought after. This is encouraged by the Government with advertising campaigns such as ‘5-a-day’ reminding people to get their 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. It must be remembered that the concept of healthiness, and which foods are currently considered ‘healthy’ can vary. Any cultural norm can be changed as society reinforces the value of one concept and denounces another. An example of this is carbohydrate consumption. Until recently carbohydrates such as rice, pasta and bread were thought of as ‘healthy’ by consumers and promoted by the government as low fat and therefore good for you but with recent new research and ‘fashionable’ diets such as Atkins consumer opinion is now changing and these foods are no longer seen as health promoting but instead as products that will prevent weight loss. This is just one example of how consumer opinion can and does change in relation of food intake.
Bibliography
Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry – A European Perspective
Jonathan Bareham
Butterworth Heinemann (1995)
Food, Health and the Consumer
T. R. Gormley, G. Downey and D. O’Beirne
Elsevier Applied Science (1987)
Dietary Trends in the United Kingdom
Judith Frank
University of Bradford – Review Paper (1987)
www.faithandfood.com
- Qur’an
- Guru Nanak – Asa Di Var
- The Manusmrti
www.betterhealth.vic.gov
www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
