Food Preferences and Taboos an Anthropological Perspective

Food Preferences and Taboos: An Anthropological Perspective Across the world, there is an extensive range of animals and plants of which humans have at their disposal for consumption. Despite this though, many cultures and societies engage in preferences and taboos of which restrict their dietary range. The term â€Å"food taboo† has been used to describe the practice of where people deliberately avoid consuming a food, which is otherwise perfectly okay to eat (Lien, 2004). The question of what makes a whale or dog off limits in one culture but edible meat in another is one that has been tended to by Anthropologists and still continues to be as these taboos are both nurtured in small scale societies and spread across continents with the ever†¦show more content†¦Mary Douglas (1966) states that food classification systems serve as social boundaries by expressing the extent of relationships signify social status and wealth, display piety and are an expression of identity for those in the community. Humans have developed classifi cation systems and those of which do not fit the criteria are out casted as taboo, a process of which is common in religious sections of society (Douglas, 1966). An example of this is the Jewish community. Judaism has a classification of edibility, which states that the fore quarters of cloven hooved animals that chew the cut and fish with scales and fins can be consumed as long as there is no blood and dairy is not mixed with meat in the same sitting (Douglas, 1966). This ultimately excludes animals such as camels, horses and pigs for they are a taxonomic anomaly and therefor are impure, dangerous and taboo. Anthropologists have contributed greatly to the understanding of food taboos in modern culture. By providing a cross-cultural comparative and holistic view on a world issue, anthropologists serve a different perspective in an unbiased light in order to enhance individual’s understandings of each other. 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