Hindu Food Culture Flashcards
Sanatana Dharma /Hinduism
• Sanatana Dharma = (Sanskrit) “the eternal law”
• The oldest living religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism, Oct 18, 2011)
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml, 07 October, 2016)
• Not founded by any prophet (http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf)
• A religion, a philosophy, and a way of life
• Simple, ascetic life & environment friendly
• Many converted to Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Islam, Christian …
• Sanatana Dharma = (Sanskrit) “the eternal law”
• The oldest living religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism, Oct 18, 2011)
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ataglance/glance.shtml, 07 October, 2016)
• Not founded by any prophet (http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf)
• A religion, a philosophy, and a way of life
• Simple, ascetic life & environment friendly
• Many converted to Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Islam, Christian …
• a diverse religion, many faiths, various forms of
worship & kinds of rituals & customs, (not
universal)
• 330 Million gods & goddesses
• 100s of Sages, Saints, & Gurus
• Many followers, cults, sects, devotees
• Incarnation/Rebirth
• Hindu scriptures‐ Veda, Puran, Geeta, Ramayan,
Mahabharat
Origin of Hindus
• Indus (Sindhu) valley- now it is pakistan
Himalaya
‐‐ a repository of medicinal & food plants
‐‐ the Sindhu, the Ganges, the Bhramhaputra
‐‐ the birthplace of ancient Hindu culture and
civilization
Hindu Population in Canada
Province Hindus Ontario 217,555 British Columbia 31,500 Quebec 24,525 Alberta 15,965 Manitoba 3,835 Saskatchewan 1,585 Nova Scotia 1,235 New Brunswick 475 Newfoundland and Labrador 405 Northwest Territories 65 Prince Edward Island 30 Yukon 10 Nunavut 10 Canada 297,200
Hindu Population in Canada
- Association for Canadian Studies
- 372,500 (2006)
- ~1.2% of the population of Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Canada (October 18, 2011)
- 75,300↑(2001‐2006)
Religious affiliation in Canada %
National Household Survey, 2011
• Christian‐ Two‐thirds of Canada’s population
• Muslim‐ 3.2
• Hindus‐ 1.5
• Sikhs‐ 1.4
• Buddhists‐ 1.1
• Jewish‐ 1
• No religious affiliation‐ nearly one‐quarter of the
population (https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs‐enm/2011/as‐sa/99‐010‐x/99‐010‐x2011001‐eng.cfm, accessed 07 October, 2016)
Hindu Trinity
The 3 supreme Hindu Gods:
• Brahma (The Creator)
• Vishnu (The Preserver)
• Mahesh (The Destroyer)
Worship (Puja)
- idol/picture
- lamp, incense, bell, conch
- mantra (religious verses)
- aarati (hymns)
- bhog (food offering)
- prasad (blessed food)‐‐ distributed
Water in Hinduism
• a purifier and a rejuvenating agent for
religious acts
• practice of bathing in sacred rivers during
pilgrimages, e.g., Kumbha Fair
• Rivers are god, bring water and food
The Ganges & The Chhath
Holy water from the River
Ganges‐‐ sprinkled onto
the food
sacred fig
gives off lots of water
dogs
gods
Bol Bom pilgrimage
No meat or fish in the month of Shravan (July‐August).
‐‐‐breeding season of fish
‐‐‐ample green grass for animals
Preserve the nature/environment
Hindu festivals:1
- Maghe/ Tila Sankranti (Mid January)
- Saraswati Puja (February)
- Maha Shivaratri (February)
- Holi (March)
- Ramnawami (March)
- Navabarsha/Joor Sital (14 April)
- Nag Panchami (July/August)
- Guru Purnima/Raksha Bandhan (July/August)
- Krishna Janmasthami (August)
- Teej (August/September)‐ by women only
- Ganesh Chaturthi/Chaurchan (September)
- Durga Puja (October) – Some fast for 9 days
- Deepawali & Lakshmi Puja (November)
- Chhath Parva (November)
- Vivaha Panchami (December)
Body composition: Panchtatwa
Body is made up of 5 natural elements: earth, air, fire, water, sky The proper balance = good health imbalance = discomfort, disease Ayurveda, Meditation & Y
Ahimsa(non‐violence)
- Hinduism = a doctrine of ahimsa
- respect all creatures, all life is sacred
- live non‐violent lives, not harming animals
- vegetarianism is advocated
Food hierarchy in a Hinduism Chigateri, S.(2008). ‘Glory to the Cow’: Cultural Difference and Social Justice in the Food Hierarchy
• vegetarianism, • meat‐eating (no beef) • beef‐eating 23 Hinduism prohibits killing of any female mamal for food
Caste system in Hinduism
1. Brahmins ‐‐ priests, teacher, maintain purity by avoiding foods touched by those of lower castes 2. Ksatriya ‐‐ rulers, warriors 3. Vaisya ‐‐ farmers, merchants 4. Sudras ‐‐ servants, labourers caste‐‐ inherited at birth depending on Karma (deeds) of former life
Issues relating to food
Hindu Dharmashastra and people: care “what one is permitted to eat, how one should prepare food, when and how much one should eat, from whom one can accept food, and with whom one can eat”
Food beliefs
Food is God
Annapurna = Goddess of food & nourishment
Sanskrit, Anna = food and grains
Purna = full/complete
• Food: a gift of god, treated with respect
• Food is for feeding body, mind & soul
• Food determines our physical well being &
mental makeup.
• ‘You are what you eat’.
• Avoid all foods thought to inhibit physical,
mental & spiritual development.
The Bhagavad Geeta ‐‐ eat only wholesome clean foods
that are fresh and simply prepared in moderate
portions.
• Food affects both body (chemistry) & mind
(emotions)
• A proper diet‐ vital for spiritual development
Food categories
Based on the food’s effect on the body and the
temperament, the Hindu diet code divides food into
3 categories:
1. Satwik
2. Rajasi
3. Tamasik
Satwik ‐ the most desirable type of food
pure food, non‐irritating to the stomach, e.g., fruits,
nuts, whole grains, vegetables
• increases longevity, health, strength, taste, happiness
• purify the mind, produce calmness & nobility
Rajasi ‐ believed to produce strong emotions
e.g., ambitious, temperamental, egoist etc
‐restlessness in the mind
• hot and spicy, salty, sour, bitter
‐ energetic or exciting
• meat, egg, fish, spices, onion, garlic, chilli
Tamsik ‐ believed to produce negative emotions
‐‐ anger, jealousy, greed
• impure/intoxicating food
‐‐ decomposed, stale, left over, indigestible
Hot & cold foods Gatrad, A. R., Ray, M., & Sheikh, A. (2004). Hindu birth customs. Archives ofDisease in Childhood, 89, 1094‐1097.
Belief : Certain foods have a ‘‘cooling’’ or a ‘‘heating’’
effect on the functions of various organs of the body,
(e.g., mood, personality & physical well‐being)
Hot foods: High protein, acid & salty foods
e.g., lentils, millet, aubergines, grapes
produce passion, lust, virility and aggression
Cold foods: are often sweet, e.g., cereals, potatoes, milk,
calm, pacific and tranquil
Hindu food practices
• Food as purifying body, mind & spirit
• Some cook by themselves to maintain purity
• Shoes not allowed in kitchens
• Change dress in white before cooking & eating
• Cleaning the place where the food will be eaten
Eating is meditation‐ do not talk while eating –
choking, obesity
• Sit on ground on “Aasan”, sprinkle water around the
food as offering to God, chant some mantras
• Offer some food to the fire God “Agni Dev”
• Food becomes Prasad (blessed food)
Food culture: Special day‐ special food
Nava Varsha/Joor Shital: Baasi (cooked food in night), Vari
and Rice
• Tila/Makar Sankranti (14th January): Holy bath
– Khichadi (dish made from rice and lentils with ghee)
– Til laddoos (round balls of sesame seeds + jaggery)
– Puffed rice laddoos
– Rice flakes laddoos
– Yoghurt
• Planting rice saplings: Asadh 15 (June 29th) Dahi Chiura
• Janai Purnima: Kwanti (9 different beans)
Food taboos
• Beef‐‐ forbidden
• Cow is considered Mother in Hinduism.
• Cow symbolises purity and non‐violence.
• Dairy products (milk, butter and yoghurt)‐‐
good for spiritual purity
• Many Hindus reject onion, garlic, mushroom, some
bulbs and tuber, spicy foods, eggs
• Some avoid tea/coffee & alcohol, cigarette
• Some also refrain from pork. Pig is considered
unclean.
Hindu Food and Vegetarianism
• Eating animal food by killing them‐‐ block mental &
spiritual growth
• Killing animals for food is a bad karma‐‐harmful
consequences
Hinduism emphasizes‐‐ vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
• Vegetarianism = protection of health & environment
• meat production release of greenhouse gases
climate change (UNEP)
(http://www.unep.org/pdf/unep‐geas_oct_2012.pdf)
• Processed meats do cause cancer – WHO
(http://www.bbc.com/news/health‐34615621, October 26, 2015)
• fruits, veggies could help ward off depression
Food rituals
Hindu life‐cycle rite is celebrated with a feast
• Chhathi: 6th day after birth (mother may fast)
• Annaprasan: 6 months weaning, first solid food
• Upanayan: boys wear the sacred thread‐ No salt for 4
days
• Marriage: No salt for 4 days
• Funeral rites: No salt for 13 days
– on specific days (Shraddha), food is offered to departed
souls. Food links the dead with the living. Funeral priests eat on behalf of the deceased.
• Widow/Wid
Food as a means to socialize & Charity
• Begging of food (scholarship) by students
at Gurukul
• “Have you eaten”? vs “How are you”?
• Distributing food to the poor and the needy, &
feeding animals – good Karma.
• Temple e.g., Tirupati distribute food for free
Fasting/Abstinence
No food or diet restriction:
on different occasions/on specific days e.g., Ekadhshi
(the 11th day of each half of lunar month) or
Poornima (Full moon), or at eclipses‐‐ holiday
Vrata (religious vows):Tuesdays, or birthdays of
deities, to make wish fulfilled or when fulfilled
Fasting/Abstinence
Fasting:
• a way of staying close to God
• control over one’s senses & material desires
• mind at peace
Fasting ways: not eating at all during the fasting period
or to eat only once or eat only fruits or a special
diet/eating only “no salt” food
Budha
Buddha : 2500 years ago in India
Prince Sidhartha – gave up luxurious life and pending emperorship
Fasting and experiencing suffering
After passing two extremes, choice of middle path, moderation,
meditation and enlightenment
Background
Buddhism is a philosophy more than a religion
- anthropo-centric
Based on the concepts of compassion to all living beings
Believes that very action creates a reaction
- Good gives good and bad gives bad;
Buddhist means a follower of Buddha
3 types of followers; monks, devotees, and common
people
Monks - no family life, only spiritual existence
Devotees – accustomed a devoted life with a family and
social entrepreneur
Common people – those who do good to them and
others (may even belongs to a different faith)whatever you do
comes back to you
Buddhism has divided to two main themes / branches:
‘Theravada’ and ‘Mahayana’
Theravada – self centered, inward or intrinsic
Mahayana – socialistic, outward or extrinsic
Countries in Asia: Sri Lanka, India, Burma,
Vietnam, Laos, Japan, China, and Korea
Modern Buddhism (in western countries) combines
both themes, and contain compassion, kindness,
mindfulness, meditation, physical-activeness, donation
and renunciation
Scripture / documentation
All living beings subsist / depend on food - ‘Sabbe saththa
aharattitika’
One forth of your income should / may spend on your meals -
‘Eakena bhoge bunjeyiya’
Feed a starved before preaching him – ‘Yaawa desathi
daddathi aamisa’
1. ‘Aayu’ – life, longevity and survival
2. ‘Warna’ – growth, beauty and complexion
3. ‘Sepa’ – comfort and happiness
4. ‘Bala’ – energy, strength and power
5. ‘Pagnna’ – cognition, intelligence and wisdom
aaya
life longevity and survival
warna
growth, beauty and complexion
sepa
- ‘Sepa’ – comfort and happiness
bala
- ‘Bala’ – energy, strength and power
‘Pagnna’
- ‘Pagnna’ – cognition, intelligence and wisdom
eating practices
Mal consumption of meals / food makes you sick
- ‘Wishama pariharaja aabhadha’
Heavy meals makes you lazy - ‘Mahawarago wa
niwapaputtho’
Practice middle path (moderation) – ‘Maddyama
prathipadha’ (eg. King Kosol’s story)
Scripture / documentation
Buddha,
Buddhist monk’s eating practices
Moderation in consumption
Only two meals per day (breakfast and lunch)
Scripture / documentation
Morning / day Night
Food (eating)»_space;»»>
No supper or dinner - monks
Mindful eating – look, think, share or give away a little
(to an animal), and consume without craving (glutton
food practices
seeking alms/begging
Walking along door to door to receive food (alms round or giving – ‘daana’) in Thailand Offering food (alms giving) by people, Thailand
Buddhism and vegetarianism
- Lactovegetarian- 50%
- Ovovegetarian (and 1)
- Fish vegetarian ( with 1 and 2)
- Poultry vegetarian (with I, 2 and / or 3)
- Nonvegitarian (without beef or with beef)
(No strict rule and based on availability, source and intension)
what is an exmaple of staples foods
Rice Barley Oats Wheat Maize Rye Lentils Beans Peas Gram Geographical influence Stable food: Rice, grains or pulses: Linked to sustainable farming
Food: Animal origin
Milk products (and Lactovegetarianism) : neat cattle or water buffalo
Dairy products – ‘ pas-go-rasa’ (five-dairy-growth promoting food)
1. Milk
2. Curd / yoghurt
3. whey
4. Ghee
5. butter
Food: Meat, fish and egg
• Killing animals for consumption - not promoted
Venison (dear), wild pork (boar), mutton (goat meat)
supplied by local hunters, farmers or imports; beef is not
promoted
• Fish by local fishermen
• Eggs were not popular
• No cannibalism and no eating meat from elephant,
horse, tiger, lion and dog
mango,cachew
veg or fruit
dessert
Coconut and jaggery pudding Curd, coconut-honey and milk tea Dodol (coconut-milk jelly) Main items are fruits and fruit-salads with papaya, pineapple, avocado and mango
lunch
Rice and curry dishes; vegetables, pulses, fish and
meat - lunch
Beverages (drinks)
Tea Other herbal tea Ranawara, coriander etc Juices: bael fruit, wood-apple, mango Toddy: fermented palm (coconut) flower sap) - alcoholic
cooking medium
Milk - coconut or cow
Oil – coconut, palm, sesame, veg
Traditional serving and wrapping
Wrapped by banana
leaves or kept in
baskets
turmeric
Turmeric mix water
for cleaning hands,
legs and utensils
(sanitizer)
neen
Neem (kohomba) tree
and shyama sticks for
brushing teeth
(sanitizers)
betel leaves
Betel leaves; symbol of respect,
forgiveness and welcome
summary of buhist
Have a mindful life very close to the nature and
biology
Consume variety food and drinks available from
the environment
Concern the both physical and mental health which
includes cleanliness and free of toxins
Traditions and rituals connect with south and east
Asia
