Food and Religious Custom

Religious observance plays an even greater influence on dietary habits than geography or cultural influence.

There is probably no greater influence upon the cuisine and eating habits of any culture than religion. No, you say? The greatest influence for what a culture eats haw got to start with its geography? With its relationship to the wider world? With its level of general cultural achievement?

Consider this: Within the Middle East, there are deserts and mountains, as well as temperate zones. There is no water in places – and lots in others. The Middle East has had an active trade dialogue with the wider world since ancient times and many foods and dishes have been exchanged in that dialogue. Also, the earliest agriculture was found when some of the hunters and gatherers in the Levant discovered they could settle down and build cities if they farmed the land and raised domesticated livestock.

So, why do the dietary habits of Muslims, Jews and Christians living together for thousands of years in that area of the world differ from each other in some significant ways? Religion.

While it’s true that portions of the Torah, the Koran and the Bible, in places, all draw from the same sources, and it’s true that climate and geography played a role in food taboos, as well, differences in what may be eaten – and when – are still striking.

Check out a series of articles I’ve written on Suite101 for the lowdown on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and its relationship to food and religious food culture observances.