Hindu Food Culture Flashcards

Question

Hot & cold foods Gatrad, A. R., Ray, M., & Sheikh, A. (2004). Hindu birth customs. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 89, 1094‐1097.

Answer 1

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

Answer 2

• 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)

Answer 3

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)

Answer 4

• 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.

Answer 5

• Eating animal food by killing them ‐‐ block mental & spiritual growth • Killing animals for food is a bad karma ‐‐harmful consequences Hinduism emphasizes ‐‐ vegetarianism

Answer 6

• 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

Answer 7

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

Answer 8

• 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

Answer 9

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

Answer 10

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

Answer 11

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

Answer 12

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

Answer 13

‘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

Answer 14

 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

Answer 15

life longevity and survival

Answer 16

growth, beauty and complexion

Answer 17

3. ‘Sepa’ – comfort and happiness

Answer 18

4. ‘Bala’ – energy, strength and power

Answer 19

5. ‘Pagnna’ – cognition, intelligence and wisdom

Answer 20

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) >>>>>>>  No supper or dinner - monks  Mindful eating – look, think, share or give away a little (to an animal), and consume without craving (glutton

Answer 21

``` Walking along door to door to receive food (alms round or giving – ‘daana’) in Thailand  Offering food (alms giving) by people, Thailand ```

Answer 22

1. Lactovegetarian- 50% 2. Ovovegetarian (and 1) 3. Fish vegetarian ( with 1 and 2) 4. Poultry vegetarian (with I, 2 and / or 3) 5. Nonvegitarian (without beef or with beef) (No strict rule and based on availability, source and intension)

Answer 23

``` Rice Barley Oats Wheat Maize Rye Lentils Beans Peas Gram Geographical influence Stable food: Rice, grains or pulses: Linked to sustainable farming ```

Answer 24

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

Answer 25

• 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

Answer 26

veg or fruit

Answer 27

``` 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 ```

Answer 28

Rice and curry dishes; vegetables, pulses, fish and | meat - lunch

Answer 29

``` Tea Other herbal tea Ranawara, coriander etc Juices: bael fruit, wood-apple, mango Toddy: fermented palm (coconut) flower sap) - alcoholic ```

Answer 30

Milk - coconut or cow | Oil – coconut, palm, sesame, veg

Answer 31

Wrapped by banana leaves or kept in baskets

Answer 32

Turmeric mix water for cleaning hands, legs and utensils (sanitizer)

Answer 33

Neem (kohomba) tree and shyama sticks for brushing teeth (sanitizers)

Answer 34

Betel leaves; symbol of respect, | forgiveness and welcome

Answer 35

 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