Food In Different Cultures

Food is very much a part of culture around. The beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. The food families eat around the world is greatly affected by the culture that they are surrounded in. In all cultures food is imbued withmeaning, it is a currency in society. Food can nourish, entertain and givepleasure. It can also be a source of political conflict for example governmenthealth warnings or arguments around vegetarianism. Not enough food causesextreme problems and at the other end of the scale too much food can be fatal. Someof these issues will be considered when examining the issues around change insociety's approach to food. Cooking skills were customarilypassed on through families usually from mothers to daughters. In the past themen were the 'breadwinners' while the women stayed at home and looked after thehome, a patriarchal concept modelled on the aspiring middle classes of thetime. Although times have changed and most women now work, the notion that foodand cooking are the woman's domain still prevails.
Culture changes each generation and is never exactly the same as it predecessors. It preserves traditions but also builds in mechanism for change. These changes occur over time because of ecological and economic changes leading to altered availability, discovery and innovation of food. Cultural traditions are internalized so that they become an inseparable part of ones self-identity. It has value system which influences the way specific foods are viewed at. Foods are generally labeled as good and bad. The bad foods are the highly desirables ones like, “junk-food”.
Culture is learned, food habits are acquired early in life and once established are likely to be long lasting and resistant to any change. Hence it is important to develop a sound nutritional practice in childhood, as a basis for life long healthy eating. Dietary changes are not externally induced. Shifting in cultural patterns and values within a society affect the dietary practices. In industrialized and fast developing countries the family structure and working arrangements are being affected Marjory. The traditional extended family system is rapidly disappearing and with it the concept of set meal times to be eaten in the company of family members is also gone. This culture of eating separately and alone is affecting diet of an individual. This has increased the demand for readily available, processed, packaged food.