What do Christians (Not) Eat: Food Taboos and the Ethiopian Christian Communities (13th-18th c.)

Guindeuil, Thomas

doi:10.3406/ethio.2014.1558

Cited by 4 publications

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“…The studies on the relationship between income status and food taboos has indicated that people with more income have less observance of food taboos [ 53 – 55 ]. Religion can also play a role to either encourage or deter people from observing food taboos [ 15 , 56 ]. Christians in Ethiopia including pregnant women are not permitted to consume animal-based foods during fasting [ 57 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Christians in Ethiopia including pregnant women are not permitted to consume animal-based foods during fasting [ 57 ]. Such food taboo has been documented to affect pregnant women and their newborn babies [ 11 , 15 , 56 ]. The similar taboo is also practiced among Zimbabwean Christians, where pregnant women are not allowed to consume food such as pork and eggs [ 58 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal

Ramulondi

Wet

Ntuli

2021

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background Traditional practices and beliefs influence and support the behavior of women during pregnancy and childbirth in different parts of the world. Not much research has been conducted to examine whether and how cultural traditions continue to shape maternity experiences of Zulu women. The aim of this study is to establish the extent at which women in certain rural communities adhere to traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infants feeding, in comparison to what is recommended by health care workers. Methods A survey was conducted in the rural northern KwaZulu-Natal between 2017 and 2020. A total of 140 women between the ages of 18 and 90 years were interviewed and they were chosen purposively based on their experiences in pregnancy, postpartum recovery, infant care, and their willingness to share the knowledge. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Most (64%) of the participants said that they adhered to these cultural food taboos and practices. The most common foods avoided were certain fruits [mango, naartjie, orange, papaya, and peach], butternut, eggs, sweets (sugar, commercial juice, sweet food, and honey), chili, ice, and alcohol. The most recommended foods during pregnancy were leafy vegetables, fruits (except the avoided ones), liver, and fish. For postpartum recovery, women mostly consumed soft porridge, all fruits and vegetables, beetroot, and tea. Food not allowed for children younger than 2 years included meat, sugar and sweets, and chewable foods. Conclusion Differences on food taboos and practices between participants who received formal education and those who did not received it were insignificant. The beliefs about the detrimental effects of some foods were not backed up by scientific research. Restriction of some orange/yellow colored fruits during pregnancy that are rich in vitamin A and/or C may affect daily requirements of these micronutrients, and the foods recommended during pregnancy and postpartum period would not provide all the essential nutrients required for successful pregnancy. However, some of the food taboos would protect women from unhealthy eating. Our findings provide a basis for developing culturally appropriate nutritional mediation programs for Zulu women with a view to provide effective nutritional counseling.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal

Ramulondi

Wet

Ntuli

2021

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…Many scholars report the role of religion in encouraging people to observe food taboos [7,14]. In Ethiopia, Orthodox Christians and Muslims, the two largest religious groups, have their own food and beverage taboos.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, eating of animal-based foods during fasting season by observers of Orthodox Christianity-including pregnant women-is considered taboo. Such food taboos have been reported to negatively affect pregnant women and their newborn babies [7,14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food taboos and related misperceptions during pregnancy in Mekelle city, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

2020

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Introduction Most communities, rural or urban, have taboos regarding foods to avoid during pregnancy, and most have local explanations for why certain foods should be avoided. Such taboos may have health benefits, but they also can have large nutritional and health costs to mothers and fetuses. As such, understanding local pregnancy food taboos is an important public health goal, especially in contexts where food resources are limited. Despite this, information regarding food taboos is limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed food taboos, related misconceptions, and associated factors among pregnant women in Northern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study of 332 pregnant women in antenatal care (ANC) follow-up at selected private clinics in Mekelle city, Tigray, Ethiopa, recruited between April and May, 2017. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we assessed whether respondents' observed food taboos, what types of foods they avoided, their perceived reasons for avoidance, diversity of respondents' diets during pregnancy, and respondents' socio-demographic characteristics. After reporting frequency statistics for categorical variables and central tendencies (mean and standard deviation) of continuous variables, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the socio-demographic factors and diet diversity associated with food taboo practices. Results Around 12% of the pregnant women avoided at least one type of food during their current pregnancy for one or more reasons. These mothers avoided eating items such as yogurt, banana, legumes, honey, and "kollo" (roasted barley and wheat). The most common reasons given for the avoidances were that the foods were (mistakenly) believed to cause: abortion; abdominal cramps in the mother and newborn; prolonged labor; or coating of the fetus's body. Maternal education (diploma and above) (AOR: 4.55, 95%

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“…Ce texte sera republié en 2005, dans la revue Food and History, dans une rubrique intitulée Les classiques. A côté de ces deux textes, il convient de signaler deux autres portant sur les interdits alimentaires des chrétiens d'Éthiopie, qui ont la particularité de suivre la plupart des prescriptions alimentaires des juifs (Rodinson 1964(Rodinson et 1970Guindeuil 2014). Rodinson va prendre pied dans une controverse sur l' origine de cette « curiosité » et proposer une nouvelle interprétation.…”

Section: La Cuisine Dans L'oeuvre De Rodinsonunclassified

Un précurseur… des food studies : Maxime Rodinson

Poulain

2020

Anthropology of the Middle East

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This article explores the contribution of Maxime Rodinson to the thematisation of food in the Social and Human Sciences (SHS), i.e. its recognition as a legitimate object. Rodinson’s contribution consists in having created the conditions for the socialisation of food. The focused interest in cookery books, as a source of empirical data, has made it possible to situate food in culinary styles, that is to say not only in physical space, but also in social space. Entry through practices has provided access to what he calls “mass effects” that affect society at large. Thus, it has been possible to sociologise the issue by adding to the local, geographical, and cultural locations of food and dishes the consideration of social hierarchies and forms of diffusion, mixing linguistics, history, sociology, anthropology, and geography. Beyond Rodinson’s personal trajectory, which from a personal poly-competence promotes a transdisciplinary approach, the thematisation takes place in a historical and epistemological context marked by the opposition between a spiritual Islamology and evolutionary Marxism. This characterises the period preceding the Iranian revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall.Résumé : Cet article étudie la contribution de Maxime Rodinson à la thématisation de l’alimentation dans les Sciences humaines et sociales (SHS), c’est-à-dire à sa reconnaissance comme objet légitime. Son apport consiste à avoir créé les conditions de la sociologisation des aliments. La mise en évidence de l’intérêt des livres de cuisine comme source de données empiriques a permis de situer les aliments dans des styles culinaires, c’est-à-dire non seulement dans l’espace physique, mais également dans l’espace social. L’entrée par les pratiques a donné accès à ce qu’il appelle des « effets de masse » qui touchent la société de façon large. Ainsi a-t-on pu sociologiser la question en ajoutant à la localisation géographique et culturelle des aliments et des mets la prise en compte des hiérarchies sociales et des formes de diffusions, en mêlant linguistique, histoire, sociologie, anthropologie, géographie… Au-delà de la trajectoire personnelle de Rodinson qui, depuis une poly-compétence personnelle, promeut une approche transdisciplinaire, cette thématisation s’opère dans un contexte historique et épistémologique marqué par l’opposition entre une islamologie spirituelle et le marxisme évolutionniste qui caractérise la période qui précède la révolution iranienne et la chute du mur de Berlin.

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What do Christians (Not) Eat: Food Taboos and the Ethiopian Christian Communities (13th-18th c.)

Cited by 4 publications

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Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal

Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal

Food taboos and related misperceptions during pregnancy in Mekelle city, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Un précurseur… des food studies : Maxime Rodinson

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