What Is a 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...