Chapter 1 Food Affects Life
9
Your answers to all these questions refl ect your food habits. Each of your friends
would likely answer these questions a bit differently. This is because the factors that
affect food habits are a little different for everyone.
One factor that affects food habits is culture. Culture is the traditions and beliefs
of a racial, religious, or social group. People of a certain race form a cultural group.
Citizens of a given country and followers of a specifi c religion are also examples of
cultural groups. Many people are part of more than one cultural group.
The United States is a multicultural society. The many cultures in this country
include those of the Native Americans and the fi rst explorers. The cultures of immi-
grants from Europe and Asia and slaves from Africa are also part of U.S. culture today.
You might think of the United States as a cultural “tossed salad.” A tossed salad is
a single food item made up of a variety of vegetables. Each vegetable contributes
a distinct fl avor, color, and texture. In a similar way, each culture that is part of U.S.
society contributes unique customs (typical ways of behaving) and beliefs to the
nation.
National Origin
The people who colonized various lands brought with them foods from their native
cultures. For instance, the French who settled in the United States introduced chow-
ders. The Chinese introduced stir-fried dishes. When the immigrants could not obtain
traditional ingredients, they had to adapt their recipes. They incorporated foods that
were available locally into their diets.
In the United States, immigrants tended to settle together based on nationality. As
a result, many foods are typical of particular regions of the country. For instance, foods
of Mexican and Spanish origin are found in the West and Southwest. Asian infl uence is
seen in foods of the Pacifi c Coast. See 1-2.
Religion
Religion is an important cultural infl uence on the food habits of many people.
Some religions have certain customs regarding food and how people should eat it. For
instance, Hindus will not use cattle (beef) for food because they consider cattle to be
sacred. Muslims can eat only with the right hand.
Through the ages, people have used food for religious offerings. They might place
special foods on altars or offer prayers recognizing events symbolized by the foods.
The bread and wine used in Christian churches during communion symbolize the sacri-
fi ce of Christ’s body and blood. Unleavened bread is an important symbol for Jewish
people during Passover, the eight-day festival that commemorates their fl ight from
Egypt. Because the Jews had to leave their homes so quickly, they did not have time to
allow their bread to rise.
Fasting, or denying oneself food, has long been a religious custom. Some
Christians fast during Lent, a 40-day period leading up to Easter. Jews fast on
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day of
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Some early people used food as part of their burial ceremonies. For example, the
ancient Egyptians buried food with their dead. The Egyptians believed the deceased
needed food for their journey into the next world. Some Shintos, Taoists, and Buddhists
still offer food and coins at shrines honoring deceased relatives and friends.