Don’t Eat That!
A World Of Forbidden Foods
Imagine yourself in an almost surreal situation, standing alone before an endless buffet of various dishes. From side to side, the table is endless, packed to the brim with colorful and aromatic dishes that call to your senses, appealing to your ever growling, hungry stomach. No other people stand nearby before this vast feast, with the soul exception of one other individual; a policeman. Dressed in the garb of whichever affiliation of lawmen you would like, this emotionless guardian does nothing to assert its presence as you stand there, with no noise or motion. However, as you move forward, tempted by a nearby plate, the policeman halts you, standing between yourself and your chosen meal. Confused, attempt to move for the dish again, yet once more the powerful policeman rebuffs your advances. After the unsuccessful attempt, you cautiously step to the side, before another plate, a different one. This time, the policeman allows you to take the plate, and eat your fill, having persuaded you against your earlier choice.
While the idea of an endless banquet and mysterious policeman may seem silly at first thought, the truth is we face a form of this situation every day, when we practice in the universal and essential task of food consumption. The buffet represents the endless possibilities of food choices we have before us throughout the course of our lives, while the policeman is a manifestation of our own subconscious mind, standing between us and the “wrong” meals. While sometimes this guardian force within our own brains is there to help us biologically, such as stopping us from eating poisonous or rotten food, on other occasions we are hindered by “taboo”, or something prohibited or restricted by social custom.
Many times we find ourselves deterred by certain foods simply for the fact that it’s, in our own minds, “not right” to eat them. Despite many of these foods having nutritious or easily accessible qualities, we forgo their consumption, as society would frown upon us if we indulged in such. There is a remarkably vast amount of taboo that we face on an everyday basis regarding food, much of which we have accepted as normalcy without providing detailed thought or comprehension towards. Of these taboos, three large categories to explore are the ones regarding forbidden drinking, various restricted animal consumption, and uncommon dietary practices.
When we drink our sugary, highly caffeinated sweet teas, or fire up the pot of coffee the morning, we may or may not briefly consider the possibility these drinks may not be healthy for our system. However, do many of us ever consider that the drinks may be forbidden? In the Mormon beliefs of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, caffeine is strictly removed from the menu (What’s Not On The Mormon Menu, Reiss & Bigelow). In fact, certain teas, which are even frequently considered healthy for the body, such as black and green teas, are categorized in the forbidden zone due to their caffeine levels. Coffee is highly prohibited, even in regards to desserts which use the coffee bean, such as tiramisu. Not only Mormons have had it out for the delicious morning beverage that has become a staple in American breakfasts, either. In the late 1400s, many Catholics urged Pope Clement VIII to ban coffee, regarding it as the devil’s drink (Clement VIII: The Pope Who Popularized Coffee In Europe, The Historian). However, after tasting a cup, the Holy Pope declared it would be a sin to not allow the devoted to indulge in coffee, meaning millions of Catholics to this day are still welcome to enjoy their Starbucks.
While the taboo against coffee and tea may be seen as a bit extreme by much of the human public, there is another drink related taboo that is far more widely noted: blood. Many people may lick a wound, but the idea of downing an entire glass of blood, or even using it in a meal seems downright macabre. We associate the consumption of blood to fall in line with that of the ghoulish figures from our childhood, such as vampires, even when the blood in question is not necessarily that of another human being, thus not actually being cannibalism. Whatever the reason, whether it be personal distaste, religious stance, or health related, drinking blood is certainly a drink related taboo.
Michelle Marquis, a 29 year old tattoo artist, displayed her love of drinking a variety of blood on TLC’s program “My Strange Addiction”, earning the disgust of American’s nationwide when she claimed she regularly down’s pig’s blood, and has even gone so far as to drink blood directly harvested from a friend (“My Strange Addiction” Season 4 Episode 8). Within the episode, Michelle’s own mother vocalizes how Michelle’s dietary addiction caused major rifts in their relationship. Michelle would frequently ask for the blood in family home cooked meals, or store the fluid in the kitchen, causing great distress to her mother, which caused Michelle to move away from her family at the age of 16, all in the name of drinking blood. While the family has since mended their rocky relationship, Michelle is still forced to abstain from partaking while in her mother’s presence, and the family dinners are ‘infrequent’, to say the least.
Like many other taboos, the drinking of blood also comes with its religious association. In the western hemisphere of the world, it is common practice to eat certain meats rare, especially steak, or at the very least only cooked enough to still have small amounts of blood visible. However, for some religions, particularly ones in the Middle East such as Islam, consuming any amount of blood is considered ‘unclean’, and as such highly taboo. In Judaism, all animal and bird meat must be salted and dried, to remove blood from the creature, as blood is considered a form of life, and the consuming of another’s life forbidden (Leviticus 11:10).
Aside from codes of both personal and religious preference, the consuming of blood also comes with its own set of health related issues. The most obvious health risks to come to mind would be that of auto immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, the lethal virus which attacks the carrier’s immune system over a prolonged course of time (“AIDS – The First 20 Years” Sepkowitz), can be passed through the transfer of blood. Bacterial infections can easily pass from an infected being to another through the consuming of blood, when the pathogen would have normally have no other way to transfer. The consumption of blood also introduces the malignant protein ‘prion’ into our systems, specifically the brain or spinal cord, which causes out of control inflammatory responses along our nervous system, leading to serious ailments, such as “Mad Cow Disease” (“Julia Caples, Real Life Vampire Mom” Justin Caba).
However, despite the obvious stigma associated with the consuming of blood, the bodily fluid remains prevalent in the modern world today within a variety of dishes. Aside from the popularity of eating rare beef at the Sunday BBQ, which is commonplace within American culture, many other cultures feast upon blood as well. In Germany, the most popular variety of “Blutwurst” is created through a means of pork meat, cooked within the pig’s own blood; this happens to be a variant of “Blood Sausage”, which is extremely popular throughout the world as a whole, stretching as far as the America’s, where blood is cooked with meat as a filler. In Finland, Blodplättar is a type of blood of based pancake, frequently served with reindeer meat, where a small pool of blood is fried up and served. Blood is also an extremely popular broth, used in various soups throughout the world, notably in Shanghai’s local treat “Chicken and Duck Blood Soup”. From each end of the world, the taboo liquid that is blood still finds it’s uses on our menus.
The final, and perhaps most taboo drink of them all, is easily the most popular one: alcohol. Despite the time honored and at times aptly needed tradition of tossing back a brew, alcohol has always found its way into the limelight as a source of sin. Known for its bitter taste and mind altering inebriation effects, alcohol is certainly the winner of the most taboo drink there could be, despite its extraordinarily high popularity. It comes in various types and tastes, whether it be the old fashioned beer, high class wine, or party-centric liquor, and it all carries an associated stigma. Nearly every religion takes a certain stance with it, countries have laws pertaining to it, and it’s not entirely the safest or healthiest drink one could sip, either.
Alcohol is no stranger to religion, as one might note from the fact that even in Christianity the ‘blood of Christ’ is that of red wine. In the Bible, wine is considered a ‘gift from God’, and that consuming it is thought to be joyous; however, the overindulgence and a state of drunkenness is thought to be a sin (“Evangelical Dictionary Of Theology” Walter Elwell). In Islam, however, the Qur’an specifically prohibits the consumption of any intoxicant, with alcohol being a prime offender on the tip of the list. This bias of drink even comes with associated penalties, such as a thousand years in a God induced shameful hell where the consumer is kept in a consistent state of drunken illness. The Qur’an, however, does not penalize alcohol in other forms than a beverage, such as being used as a disinfectant. All in all, it is safe to say many religions place a taboo against the ‘Devil’s Nectar’.
Many laws have also taken note of the effects alcohol can have upon society, and the beverage has been an issue of hot discussion in politics for many years, most notably in the west. In fact, laws citing against the crafting of, consumption of, sale of, and transportation of alcohol have become quite so common that they have coined their own term, now known as “Prohibitions”.
In the 1920’s, America even had standards set against alcoholic production and consumption, in the infamous Prohibition Era, where laws against alcohol were set into motion, and thereafter evaded. The American Prohibition arose in the early 1920’s, after a wave of religious revival, where temperance was highly demanded by both church and political affiliates. However, the temperance movement was met with much resistance, as the alcohol industry itself became the most common crime in widespread United States, with bootlegging and ‘speak easy’ clubs springing up nationwide. After a brief time within American law, Prohibition quickly came to an end for America, ending with stricter laws than before Prohibition, yet still the legalization of alcohol (“Prohibition” History Channel).
Even to this day, different laws regarding alcohol exist in various nations. In the United States, a majority of the country adheres to the requirement of 21 years of age or older, for the purchase of or consumption of alcohol; however, in certain cases such as New Orleans, the law is bypassed if a minor is offered alcohol by their parent or guardian. In Asia, many nations, particularly western ones such as Bangladesh, adhere to strict prohibition laws, effectively creating entirely dry nations. Even certain European countries hold laws in regard to the taboo beverage, whereas Europe is typically famed for both its wine and ale. In the Czech Republic, a law has been enacted since September 2012, where drinks containing more than 12 % alcohol have been banned from sale, in response to a methanol poisoning outbreak which claimed 25 lives.
Health wise, alcohol is hardly considered a panacea for most ailments, and in fact is often thought to cause more health issues than it could solve. Aside from its lack of nutritious qualities and the-oh-so common “beer gut” that comes along with prolonged use, alcohol features a variety of other health risks. Inebriation causes a lack in judgment and clear, level headed thinking, causing risks to health with various stunts, especially once the intoxicated person operates heavy machinery such as vehicles. The ingestion of alcohol by pregnant women often causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which leads to multiple birth defects within children, such as facial deformities, mental retardation, and slowed growth, at times even leading to premature birth and death (“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” AACAP). Alcohol also causes various liver defects, due to increased pressure of the liver to remove pollutants from the body, as well as various cardiovascular diseases. Largely, however, alcohol can lead to addiction, which has the ability to cause financial ruin, deteriorate interpersonal relationships, and altogether ruin lives in the long run.
Despite its popularity in today’s society, whether through media, celebratory, or even a way of life, alcoholic beverages certainly come with their own brand of taboo. A heated topic in politics and religion, this variety of beverage is certainly the top holder in taboo drinks; however, certain foods come associated with even greater taboos.
The idea of taboo foods has always largely revolved around different species of animals, and what would be considered right or wrong. Is it just as taboo to eat a cow as it is a cat? Would you ever down a glass of juice strewn up with the insides of bugs? These questions have long plagued our minds, and resulted in various restrictions on what type of creature appears on our menus, whether it be due to moral justification, religious reasoning, or what ideals we simply think is ‘disgusting’.
If one were to ask a random person strolling down the streets of Cincinnati what the oddest thing they ever ingested was, you would probably receive some rather bland, generic answers, such as “octopus” or “pickles with peanut butter”. However, ask any one of these people if they have ever eaten a cat, dog, or horse, and you may receive a look of disgust on parallel with asking if they ever murdered another human being in cold blood. The truth is, most of Western society never wants to consider that Fluffy or Fido could ever be a food source, despite the fact that these animals actually would have nutritional value. However, many of these same people have no qualms with eating a large, medium rare steak, or frying up a delicious pan of sizzling bacon. Why is it, then, that we pick and choose which animals are our pets, and which are our meals?
After the nation was rocked by the Ikea Meatball Scandal, where horse meat was found to be an ingredient in Ikea frozen meatballs, psychologist James A. Serpell sought to answer the question of why we pick and choose our animal foods. Serpell states that we feel a certain connection to the more intelligent, ‘pet-like’ animals, especially the ones known to perform tasks for us; namely the dog, the cat, and horse, creatures who have assisted in farm work for centuries. We feel these animals are superior due to their abilities, and almost human like in quality, while other farm livestock, such as cattle, sheep, chicken, and pigs, lack this intelligence, making them more inferior and thus available for consumption (“After Horse Meat Scandal, Why Is Some Food Taboo?” National Public Radio).
However, not all cultures share our discomfort at the dining table when it comes to eating the so called ‘best friends’, particularly in Asiatic countries. In the eastern world, such as North Korea, cats are frequently on the menu, with certain restaurants even devoted to the serving of cat cuisine itself. One such restaurant, known as ‘Noo Nan Jun’, even sports a wall of cat cages, where the consumer is allowed to choose the cat they wish to eat while it is still alive and meowing within its cage. In some select European countries, such as Ikea’s home nation of Switzerland, horse is considered no different than cattle, and dishes such as sausage, steaks, and stews frequently come a tough, stringy horse basis. In the southern country of Peru, the common food source is frequently that of the small rodents Guinea Pigs, where the delicacy is so popular that other countries with large Peruvian Immigration even consume the animal, with its consumption becoming even more so popular in America, though many people still show signs of disdain for the idea of eating the caged pet.
In the past, though, even western cultures consumed some of the foods we may consider taboo today. During the Colonial era of North America, the mobile restrictions of trading and lack of stable agriculture caused deer meat to become a main source of protein for settlers, surpassing cow and pork in popularity for many years. Today, venison is considered a rarer commodity, and many more urbanized Americans refuse to see it as more than wildlife. Furthermore, did you ever wonder how the ‘hotdog’ got the name? In Germany following World War I, the scarcity of many foods, even the commonplace rabbit, caused the German people to seek outside sources for food, resulting in dog meat finding its way into the traditional German sausage.
Other animals, even those not considered to be common pets, receive certain protection beneath the mandates of moral obligation. Members of the primate family, whether it be the long tailed monkey or, especially, the more closely related great Apes, are often abstained from in Western Society, and despite at times being eaten in the middle east where they are most abundant, are generally still considered less of a food source and more of an odd delicacy. Dolphins and other porpoises, known for their almost human playful nature and superior intelligence, are never spotted on the western menu, and despite having once been popular food items in the North and the East, many conservation groups have actively taken a stance to remove Flipper from the menu.
Interestingly, not only does our own moral obligation set taboos against which animals we choose to eat, but also how we go about harvesting them. No other species, even that of the closely related apes, shows the feelings of guilt, anger, and sadness the human being does when confronted with violent, pain causing acts upon other species; thus, the term ‘inhumane’. Though we understand the importance of eating meat, it is highly taboo to cause pain or suffering to the animal we take it from. In the United States of America, various laws are set in place for agricultural trade, such as the state in which animals are kept, with demands increasing every year. Hunting practices are also closely regulated, with certain traps or weaponry illegalized, and poisons strictly prohibited. Some natives of certain cultures, such as the Ojibway of Alaska or the Aborigine of Australia, even follow grueling traditions in their personal laws of the hunt, with beliefs largely centered upon vengeful animal spirits (“One Man’s Meat: Further Thoughts On The Evolution Of Food Taboos” James A. Serpell)
Aside from the common morals and personal belief systems when it comes to eating animals, many religions hold stances against which animals are expected to be on the menu, and which are not. No matter which part of the world you find yourself in, there is bound to be a nearby religion which holds some sort of bias against a certain type of animal.
In the Middle East, quite a few animals find themselves off the menu for entire populaces of people. In India, the cow, considered a sacred animal in Hinduism, is almost entirely taboo, with only a handful of restricted slaughters allowed per year. Due to this fact, cows are numerous in India, and it is not uncommon to see the random free ranging cattle prancing down the road in many small towns. Followers of the Jewish religion are to abstain from eating pig, as animals of cloven hooves with the inability to chew cud are taboo within the religion.
Other religions outside of the Middle Eastern persuasion also feature various laws against foods. Within the Bible, Leviticus forbids the consumption of shellfish, such as that of lobsters, squid, or crab, citing fish lacking scales as abominations and therefore unfit for human consumption. In Catholicism, the act of eating something still alive is considered taboo, meaning all meals must be thoroughly dead, and preferably cooked before consuming, causing hot debate over sushi. In some sects of Buddhism, particularly around Vietnam, meat and fish are highly discouraged as foods, as well as the “pungent spices”: onion, leek, and garlic.
Perhaps the most vociferous in terms of forbidding foods based upon Religion would be that of Islam and the Qur’an. Within the religion, a product must be certified as ‘halal’, or kosher, before being permitted by a follower of the faith for ingestion or use. Swine based products are once more unpermitted, though this time it extends from simple foods such as pork, and even goes so far as to deny soaps, lotions, candles, cosmetics, or other products involving the ‘unclean’ animal. In fact, even products unrelated to food featuring a pig, or even a dog, motif, such as garments, utensils, electronics, or other commodities are banned, as both animals are simply considered unclean and therefore undesirable by the faith. Products harvested from scavengers, such as birds or shellfish, are also banned within Islamic parameters, with even cases involving a woman wearing feathers in her hair considered sinful (“Keeping The Faith: Religious Taboos In The Middle East” CN Traveler).
Religious or moral aspects aside, at times we refuse to partake in the consumption of an animal simply because it’s considered gross, or unclean. Rats, despite their large numbers and ease of access, have never exactly been considered an option when it comes to food, especially since the Bubonic Plague of the dark ages; however, studies have shown that rats would hold similar nutritious value to that of a rabbit, which is still considered fair game in today’s societies. Raccoons, squirrels, and opossums also fall into this category to a certain degree, and rarely wind up on the dinner table, save for in the most backwoods of areas. Reptiles are also rarely considered for dining upon, such as snakes and lizards, due to the ‘creepy and crawly’ feeling they give us.
Perhaps the biggest offender when it comes to being palatable is anything from the insect species, and the consumption of which is frequently taboo once we consult our stomachs. Roaches are often used in gag challenges for game shows, and eating one is either a sign of madness or bravery, at times a mixture of both. Chocolate covered ants and grasshoppers are served as more high class candies from time to time, though their status as a dish is more in terms of quirk and violation of the taboo than any real taste or nutritional value. Surprisingly, Cicadas received a new image after their most recent 17 year cycle, in which they became highly popularized as a low fat, high protein food source, and became used as stand-alone snacks, as well as in pizza, sandwiches, desserts, and other meals (“Low Fat, High Protein Cicadas: New Health Snack?” National Geographic).
Of every morally, religious, or disgusting type of animal there may be out there, none cover each of the bases quite so well as that of the human being. Cannibalism has long been the ultimate taboo, shrouded in mystery, myth, fear and speculation. The idea of eating other humans has become so detested, that not only are humans almost never even considered a source of nutrition, but the practice is one of the few that is detested in more than 99 % of the world, an astonishing amount considering the general diversity displayed by many cultures.
While many historians share general disbelief and skepticism at the idea of cannibalism, the evidence of cannibals throughout history is generally well supported. Aside from many accounts passed verbally, some stories have been written down in regards to these rare encounters. Christopher Columbus has the first written account of Cannibals discovered, when he cites a meeting with a secluded Island Tribe upon the West Indies. Today, Cannibalism is a rare, mythic ideal, though some tribes residing deep within the Amazon rainforest are rumored to still continue the practice.
Why Cannibalism is frowned upon comes with a variety of reasons. For most, it is the idea of consuming the flesh of something so similar to oneself that causes a feeling of nausea. There is also the scientific reasoning behind it, in that the consumption of one’s own is detrimental to the society as a whole, lowering population numbers and going against the instinct for species perpetuation. There are also particular claims that the ingestion of human flesh will cause disabilities within the consumer, particular the idea that the person will descend into madness. Whatever the cause, however, it is easy to see that cannibalism is a universal taboo that many cultures have little interest in defying (“All About Cannibals: The Ancient Taboo In Modern Times” Rachael Bell).
Beyond the taboo beverages and choices specific to the type of species one may consume, many dietary practices are often times considered taboo. Also known as ‘eating disorders’, these practices are considered malignant and harmful ways of eating. They are often regarded as complex illnesses than could be life threatening. While most see these disorders at ‘taboo’, some select sects actively choose to participate in these lifestyles, refusing to condemn them despite the harmful health related issues. Dietary habits that fall into the categorization of ‘taboo’ within western cultures include, but are not limited to, addictive eating, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa (“Types And Symptoms of Eating Disorders” The National Eating Disorders Association).
The television show ‘My Strange Addiction’ profiles the irregular consumption habits which have gained the terminology “Addictive Eating”. The show has featured a variety of people with various food related, as well as unrelated, addictions, all of which are considered odd and taboo. Some foods ingested have included cigarette ashes, toilet paper, and drywall, as each consumer openly admits that they are different from the societal norms. The medical terminology for the ingestion of commonly non edible things, such as paper and rocks, is Pica, which each of the show’s featured stories has some variation of. Pica comes in many forms, some of which have their own specific names, such as Trichophagia, the eating of hair, and Hyalophagia, the eating of glass. Pica is a disorder which offers no actual nutritional value, yet the person feels compelled to eat the said item incessantly (“Pica: Do You Know What Your Patients Are Eating?” Janelle Gonyea).
Beyond eating inedible things compulsively, some people are simply compelled to compulsively eat. Known as binge eating disorder, the disorder involves the consumer’s inability to stop eating, and consuming large quantities of food. This food can either be consumed continuously over the course of the day, or all at once, in very short periods of time, and will continue until the consumer is uncomfortably full. Those suffering from BED cite various reasons for indulging in the disorder, whether it be from embarrassment, depression, or an association with some variety of past trauma. Obesity is highly linked to the disorder, leading to those suffering from it become socially ostracized, and the amounts they consume to be ‘taboo’.
Bulimia nervosa is form of BED, though while BED comes without compensatory measures to make up for large amounts, bulimia is the act of consuming large amounts and then undoing what you have consumed. The most typical means to compensate for large amounts of food intake is vomiting, where the consumer purges their body of food after taking in vast quantities through regurgitation. However, other methods of purge exist, such as prolonged laxative use, fasting over periods of time lasting from days to weeks, and over obsessive exercise. Bulimia frequently leads to much bodily deterioration, such as esophagus issues, hair loss, or muscle destruction from over exercise. Mentally, as well, the afflicted remain obsessed with body image, driving them to commit the damage against themselves. Despite all of the associated risks, however, fasting and over exercise continue to remain common lifestyle choices by many, who either remain unaware of or chose to ignore the associated risks, not realizing they are indulging in this taboo.
Perhaps the most taboo, as well as most popularized, eating disorder is that of anorexia. Characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss, anorexia is a common concern of modern society, especially in regards to today’s female youth. Those experiencing anorexia have an inexplicable fear of weight gain, often citing becoming ‘fat’ as their primary drive, despite the sufferer consistently being underweight. They are described in a way that once they look in a mirror, an anorexic individual will not see reality, but will instead see a contorted, overweight version of themselves. These people, typically women, experience severe malnutrition, which can lead to brittle bones, dry or damaged hair and skin, abnormally low heart rate, and at times even death.
Despite the fears associated with anorexia, however, almost .5 to 1 % of American women experience it in some form, and a fandom even follows behind the disorder as a support group for those wishing to remain thin. Skinny Gossip is a blog which promotes extreme dieting weight loss, while condemning anything outside of their own considered norm. The site offers tips on quick, often unhealthy ways at losing the pounds, as well as ‘hate centered’ blogs that nitpick at curves and full figured women, a specific target being popular model Kate Upton. The so called ‘pro-anorexia’ blog is often featured within the news, and many agencies have sought to shut it down, though the blog frequently uses the second amendment to continue going strong (“Skinny Gossip: Gossiping about celebrities, diets, fashion, weight, and bodies” Skinnygossip.com).
Thinking back to the scenario of the massive buffet, one may wonder exactly how many more edible options may open up if we simply released our food based taboos. Would the world truly become our oyster? Perhaps, and we may just find a new dish that could quite possibly become our favorite. However, at the end of the day, taboos exist for a reason, so quite simply… don’t eat that!
Works Cited
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