Preview

Taboo in Food

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
933 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Taboo in Food
In human society taboo is a strong prohibition (or ban) related to certain behaviors and habits, declared as "sacred and forbidden". Breaking a taboo is usually considered a repulsive thing and censured from the community. The term is derived from the Tonga and is present in many Polynesian cultures. In these cultures, a taboo also has religious significance. The term taboo is precisely the condition of people, objects and actions isolated and prohibited because of the danger represented by their contact.
All cultures defined them self through food and their food taboos, a certain type of food can be considered as perfectly acceptable or excellent in some societies, and repulsive in others.
But what are the different types of Taboo in food?

-Religion

If people don’t eat a certain type of food considered as a taboo in their religion it’s because it keeps them pure and safe from evil.
Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and other mainstream religions ban the consumption of certain creatures, like pigs and cows. For Islamic people, the consumption of pork and all pork products are forbidden in their cultures. Muslims will only eat Halal meat, animals must be slaughtered in a way spelled out by the religion for the food to be acceptable to eat. For Hinduisms, it would be unthinkable and a sin to eat a cow because cows are considered sacred animals and in opposition, the main source of protein in the United States is cattle. For the Judaism, their religion forbids the eating of animals that do not have cloven hooves or chew their cud, such as pigs and rabbits and also sea creatures that do not have fins and scales, like lobsters and oysters. Jews will only eat kosher meat. Some tribes highly regard animals on the totems and it was common that the eating of the totemic animal was strongly forbidden and considered taboo. (Hinduism and cows)

-Culture

In many countries, the lifestyle of people led them to refuse to eat the meat of some species, for various

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    In the United Arab Emeritus, for example, all meats that are approved must be butchered under Islamic halal method. Any type of pork meat products and predatory animals with fangs or tusks are not approved since it is forbidden in the Islamic Religion. There are no specifications on the ways meats are cooked here. In Israel, there are religious factors that are to be considered when preparing food(s). The Jewish population is bound by dietary laws called kashrut which forbids the eating of pork products and shellfish along with consuming both milk products and meat in the same meal.…

    • 1299 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    For example Muslim doesn’t eat pork by being aware of it we provide his food without pork and individual has his dietary needs meet.…

    • 1702 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    _____ are the standards by which members of a particular culture define what is good or bad, moral or immoral, desirable or undesirable.…

    • 4355 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I have learned from different anthropology, that taboo is just what a society regards as forbidden, it is not something universal and it does not apply to everyone.…

    • 73 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In order to better understand how food reveals these different truths about our food preferences, Allen says, “it is good to consider that you are the product of multiple food histories” (Harvard Press, 2012). These histories help us to consciously and unconsciously shape our food preferences. Our own personal experiences as we grow and develop in our lives cultural environment, biological history, and evolutionary history all play a huge part in this mental process. Our family and the culture that we grow up in helps to shape what is acceptable and not acceptable food choices.…

    • 1303 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kashrut Research Paper

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Lots of foods, such as pig, any insects that that swarm, creep, swim or fly, animals that do not chew cud or have a cloven hoof, shellfish, any fish without fins and scales, blood (any blood, no matter whether the animal was kosher), are not kosher, an are therefore classified as treifah. Treifah is the the term for foods which Jews are forbidden to eat.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Final Essay Number 2

    • 1587 Words
    • 5 Pages

    being food, and just enjoy it. They enjoy it no matter how its made, therefore if it taste good in…

    • 1587 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kosher & Jewish laws

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What I found to be very surprising is that meat and dairy cannot be eaten together. This is surprising because I just cannot think of any logical reason for this restriction. Although I realize that may religions have aspects to them that I do not understand, like Catholicism forbidding meat on Friday, this seems particularly confusing for me. To make this more specific, Jewish law also restricts the utensils used when eating. If a utensil comes into contact with one, it may not come into contact with the other.…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The perspective on what tastes good and what doesn’t creates a powerful dichotomy that is applied towards food. Cultures prioritize certain types of food and tastes. For instance, Americans have dogs for pets and would think of it absurd to eat their pets for food. However, on the other hand, Indonesians view dogs as a means of food. Indonesians raise dogs the same way Americans raise cows and pigs. Neither culture is right nor wrong for each one has different perspectives on what is considered acceptable to eat and what is…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are different types of religious and therefore we should respect their believes and the variety of food…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are many different cultures in our world and everyone eats differently and has different ideas as to what is healthy. Hindus are strict vegetarians who believe that violence towards living beings is a no go. Some…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dog Meat Research Paper

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Bacon. How many of us say that we can’t live without it? Its scent wakes people in the morning and draws them to the kitchen. Bacon has become a staple in American culture. But imagine if campaigns against bacon arose—many spurred by foreign ideas. They would march, holding signs saying, “Barbaric Americans Torture Pigs!” and slowly but surely, bacon would become tabooed.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    EYMP3 5.2

    • 379 Words
    • 1 Page

    For example, it may be against the family’s religion or culture to eat particular foods; some religions believe that certain animals are sacred so eating the animal would be extremely offensive. This is important to respect because if a practitioner tries to feed a Jewish child pork, for example, when the parents find out they will be extremely offended that the practitioner went against their religion, as that is what they believe in.…

    • 379 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Diversity In Religion

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Judaism is the belief of one God and that Moses was the greatest prophet and Jesus was a false prophet. They read from the first five books of the bible which is called the Torah and pray to God only. Their religious leader is called a Rabbi who will recite scripture to the ill, perform ceremonies, sermons in a synagogue on Saturdays. The way Judi live their life is the most important aspect of their religion. The Jewish faith has a heighten awareness of health and consider health a mortal responsibility. As far back as two thousand years ago Jewish people practiced frequent hand washing and cleansing before meals. Furthermore, Jewish laws prohibit eating shellfish and pork to prevent trichinosis, which is still practiced today. Therefore asking about dietary restrictions is…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Vegetarian Vs Vegetarian

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A very common misconception is the mislabeling and generalization of those considering themselves to be vegetarians. Vegetarian is used to describe people who exclude meat, poultry, fish, or any other animal derived food from their diet. However, within the generalized term "vegetarian" come numerous different forms of the lifestyle, each classified based on the degree to which animal products are excluded from their diet and the reasoning such as ethical, religious, health. The different groups of vegetarianism fall along an imaginary spectrum, with semi-vegetarians, who are often excluded entirely due to behaviors conflicting with the practice, on one end of the spectrum and at the opposite end are vegans, the strictest of vegetarianism. The semi vegetarians, or those who exclude animal products from their lifestyle to some degree, are often banished by true vegetarians. This is partially due to the fact that semi vegetarians consume some sort of animal products, thereby contradicting the definition of the term. However, semi vegetarians' motivations are highly different. Some are obligated by religious beliefs to refrain from eating particular types of meats. Others follow the lifestyle for health concerns; say perhaps a person chooses to not eat red-meat because of cholesterol problems. Another possible motivation would be pure personal preference. Even though semi vegetarians fall short, they still obtain some of the positive health benefits that vegetarianism brings. Although meat is both healthy and harmful to your body it has its own…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics