Traditional Foods of Different Countries

Why Did I Choose This Topic?

I choose this topic because I love the diversity of different cultures and the similarities and differences between them. I think that this is such an interesting topic because of how much information I can learn. I also love food and trying different cuisines from different countries that I visit.

How Does the Culture Of A Country affect the food they eat?

What are the major foods in different countries?

• Religious rules can affect food choices, e.g.; Hindus do not eat beef, and Jewish people do not eat pork.
• Culture can also determine what there is to eat, and the times to eat.
• If you're a part of a tribal culture and you choose to live in suburban areas, food choices are low, and you might gain lots of germs or infections from eating animals straight after you kill them.
• Vegetarians lose certain nutrients that may come from animal produce, hence changing their food choices all together.
• The Location of a country affects the food because of the vegetation in an area.

Colombia- Coffee, Bananas,

USA- Cheeseburgers,

China- Rice, Noodles

UK- Wheat

India- noodles, pasta, dried and frozen processed food, confectionery, sweet and savory snacks and meal replacement

Germany- Meat

Conclusion

There are many different things that effect the types of food that they eat in different parts of the world and now that many cultures have mixed together, you can try all kinds of foods from anywhere in the world.

How Does Their Religion Affect Their Food?

Christianity

Hinduism

Islam

•Some Catholic and Orthodox Christians observe several feast and fast days during the

year. For example, they may fast or avoid meat on Fridays, during Lent or on Good Friday. Some eat fish instead.

•Most Protestants observe only Easter and Christmas as feast days.

•The ritual of communion is regularly celebrated by many Christians. This involves eating

bread and drinking wine.

•Some Christians don’t drink alcohol. These include many members of the Salvation Army

and other Protestant churches.

•Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists also avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. Many

Seventh Day Adventists don’t eat meat or dairy products.

•Self-denial (of food), or fasting, is sometimes considered to be ‘praying with the body’. It is believed to improve spiritual discipline by overcoming the sensations of the physical world

and focusing on prayer and spiritual growth. It may also be used by some Christians as a

way to respect those people around the world who regularly face starvation or malnutrition.

• Many Hindus are vegetarian but this is not compulsory.

• Depending on the level of adherence to this belief, in many cases beef is forbidden while

pork is sometimes restricted or avoided.

• Prohibited animal products tend to vary from one country or region to the next. For

example, duck and crab may be forbidden in one geographical location while fish may be

part of the staple food for people living in other areas.

• Most Hindus do not eat beef or beef products, because the cow is held to be sacred.

• Dairy products including milk, butter and yoghurt may be eaten.

• Foodstuffs such as alcohol, onions and garlic are thought to inhibit the Hindu’s quest for

spiritual enlightenment. They are therefore avoided or restricted.

• Fasting depends on the person’s caste (or social standing) and on the occasion; for

example, rules regarding fasting depend on whether the day has religious or personal

significance.

•The list of Haram foods includes pork, alcohol and any products that contain emulsifiers

made from animal fats, particularly margarines.

•Bread or bread products fermented by yeast may possibly contain traces of alcohol and so

may be considered Haram.

•Gelatine made from pork or from any other animal that is not Halal is forbidden. (Some gelatines may be Halal.)

•Caffeinated drinks such as coffee may be considered Haram.

•Muslim fasting periods vary. The month of Ramadan requires mandatory fasting from dawn until dusk as do other dates of religious significance, such as the ninth day of Zul Hijjah.

Judaism

Buddhism

•Foods must be prepared in the right way in order to be Kosher; for example, animals that

provide meat must be slaughtered correctly.

•The consumption of certain foods, including dairy products and fish, is subject to

restrictions; for example, there are rules forbidding the mixing and consumption of dairy

products with meats.

•Ritualized fasting is also included in Judaism. For example, Yom Kippur – the Day of

Atonement – is a Jewish fast that lasts from approximately dusk till dusk.

• Jewish feast days include Rosh Hashanah and Passover.

•The Passover commemorates the birth of the Jewish nation. The food eaten helps to tell

the story of the Exodus; for example, bitter herbs recall the suffering of the Israelite

under Egyptian rule.

• In his multiple lives on Earth, Buddha cycled through various animal forms before attaining

the form of a human being. Most Buddhists choose to become vegetarian to avoid killing

animals.

• Similarly to the Hindu concept of Karma, Buddhism proposes that violence or pain inflicted

on others will rebound on you, hence the need for a vegetarian lifestyle. Some Buddhists

believe that a contributing cause of human aggression is violence against animals.

• Some Buddhists avoid meat and dairy products, while others only shun beef. This is

affected by cultural, geographical and dietary influences.

• Religious dates vary from one region to the next. Mahayana Buddhism, for example,

celebrates three festivals for the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, while

Theravada Buddhists observe all three events on a single day.

• Buddhist monks tend to fast in the afternoon.

• Buddhist monks and nuns are not allowed to cultivate, store or cook their own food;

instead, they must rely on ‘alms’, which are donations from believers. This sometimes

includes meats, as monks and nuns aren’t allowed to ask for specific foods.

How Does The Food Of A Country Affect the Citizen's Health?

• If the typical food of a country has lots of fruits and vegetables and varied typed of nutrition, the citizens will be healthy because they receive many nutrients and vitamins.
• If the country's typical food involves a lot of sugar, fried foods or junk food, the population will be used to eating those kinds of foods so they might not be as healthy so nutrition related health problems might be a higher risk.

Bibliography

http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/Cultural_Diets/1700/1

How Does Their Location Affect Their Food?

http://www.livestrong.com/article/476301-how-culture-affects-diet/

https://www.foodexport.org/Resources/CountryProfileDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1015

• If they live in a tropical area, they will have more tropical fruits to feed on but since they don't have seasons, they will have the same crops all year long. The live stock will be easy to take care of but they might be different animals compared to other areas with different climates.
• If they live near the poles or somewhere where they have seasons, having live stock will be difficult because of the change in weather.
• The soil also changes depending on where you live so that might be a weakness or a strength for farmers.
• Also the temperatures, climate and altitude of the location will make the typical foods vary.

Traditional Foods of Different Countries

Natalia Ramirez