Contrasting Food Cultures of Muslims and Christians - Coursework Example

Abstract

Food cultures across the world differ based on a variety of factors. One of the factors invoking food selection differences is religion. Muslims, Christians, Hindu, Buddhists, Jews, and other religious adherents stick to restrictions placed by their beliefs; if there are any by such a religion. The paper tries to compare and contrast the Muslim and Christian food cultures to find the basis of the differences or similarities. The essay begins with an introductory paragraph that signs off with a thesis statement. The next two parts review the differences and similarities of food culture between the two religions. The next section is about the foods that bear religious symbolism among the followers of Islam and Christianity. The section is succeeded by another on emerging trends related to the two food cultures. The second from the last segment of the paper is a position statement based on the valuation between the two food cultures, before signing off with a conclusion that revisits the paper's thesis statement and main points.

The Contrasting Food Cultures of Muslims and Christians

Introduction

The dietary choice among Muslims is more of a legal call that anything else. Adherents of the Islamic religion have what they classify as lawful foods (halal) and the unlawful ones (haram). As a Muslim, one has to distinguish between the two and make food choices with strict conformity to religious demands. In contrast, their Christian counterparts have a free hand in the food that one can eat (Patience, 2016). There are significant differences between the two religions, as much as there are similarities. Whereas the Muslims follow legal guidance in food choices, their Christian counterparts make a choice depending on their judgment. Both religions have symbolic foods related to their religious beliefs (Chester, 2017). The contrast of food choices between Christians and Muslims epitomizes the concept that food can be deemed a social construct that enrich a people’s culture and diversity.

Similarities between Muslim and Christian Food Cultures

The halal foods taken by Muslims are all consumed by their Christian counterparts. There is also a tendency of cross-religious invitations to parties. A Christian invites Muslim friends to a party prepared and served with Christian foods, and vice-versa. Festivities of either religion are crowded with food ceremonies and drinks. Fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat (not all for Muslim) is part of the foods of both cultures. Besides the festivals and celebrations, the daily selection of foods is from a pool of staple foods in different regions and countries (Power, 2018). Muslims and Christians share the same types of food in their day to day lives. Both religions have foods that they revere as religiously symbolic and significant. There are not as similarities as there are differences, especially when viewed from a purely religious perspective. Most of the similarities are derivatives of the social and communal setting.

Differences between Muslim and Christian Food Cultures

The primary difference is that Christians have select food without restrictions, while the Muslims are bound by laws established under their religious practice. A Muslim is not allowed to take some foods like pork, crustaceans, blood, and animal-derived additives such as gelatin. On the contrary, a Christian may take them as they deem right. It is also haram for Muslims to take alcoholic beverages. Among the Christians, the wine they take in the church in remembrance of the death of Christ is an alcoholic beverage. The choice to take alcohol among Christians is a personal choice that is not restricted by religion.

Another critical issue relating to food among the Muslims is their fasting month of Ramadan. In this period, the faithful avoid any uptake of food, liquids, and medication from the moment the sun rises to sunset (Power, 2018). On the other hand, Christians have no unified month of fasting. They fast at their own time of selection based on faith and beliefs. The Catholics – a part of Christianity – have a month they call Lent where they are supposed to fast and pray (Power, 2018). However, it is not as strictly followed and observed as Ramadan among the Muslims. Every Muslim is supposed to observe Ramadan, but there are a few exceptions. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people, those who are menstruating, children under 12 years, and chronically ill people.

Another big difference between the two religions is their meat consumption. Whereas Christians take all types of meat, their Muslim counterparts are highly selective. On the one hand, some of the unlawful meats among the Muslims include pork, dog, cat, monkey, among others (Power, 2018). For a Christian not to take the said haram foods among the Muslims, it is a personal choice. Muslims also cannot take flowing blood. The exception to this rule is when the life of an individual is in danger, with the possibility of death. In such instances, haram food can be allowed to save a life. This is one of the concepts that cast aspersions on the whole necessity of haram and halal foods.

Symbolic Foods of Religious Significance

Christians have their religiously symbolic foods, and so do the Muslims. The unleavened bread is viewed as the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, taken with the wine, which represents the blood of Christ (Power, 2018). Baklava is made by Greek Christians using 33 layers of dough to represent the years of Christ. Easter egg is associated with a new life after the resurrection of Christ, while pancakes are consumed to symbolize the ones of the Lent period. All those are foods with religious significance among Christians.

Muslims have their fair share of food practices that are religiously symbolic. Dates are eaten during Iftar as a symbol of the belief that Prophet Muhammad’s fast was broken by eating three dates (Akbari et al., 2018). Baklava is also common among the Muslims in relation to Ramadan and was common among the Balkans and Ottoman Empire. Ketupat is packed rice that taken during Eid-ul-Fitr in South East Asia (Akbari et al., 2018). Most of the religious-toned foods in the Islamic world are based on their Ramadan month of fasting and its associated festivities.

The symbolism of food epitomizes the respect and belief system of either religion. Believers in social equity and equality can take these symbols as a reason to keep pushing for the desired equality among people of different religions. There would be no point in Christians feeling that their unleavened bread and wine practice is a better practice than Muslim’s dates and ketupat. Also, there would be no essence for the Muslims to feel that their Baklava preference is a better food culture than the Easter egg among Christians. When each religion accepts the practices of the other, it is the culture pool of the nation that gets broader and richer. Strength in diversity becomes more appreciated.

Emerging Trends

The world is become more or less like a global village, and dynamics are changing from time to time. On that account, people are easily integrating the culture of others into their system. It is possible to find a Christian comfortably preparing food associated with Muslim festivals in a Christian-themed celebration (Tieman & Hassan, 2015). Further, the global production chains have undergone tremendous changes in the recent past. This has forced people to change and seek alternatives to their normal way of doing things (Tieman & Hassan, 2015). However, this is not to mean that food culture has been abandoned. People are still largely tied to the basics of those cultures.

Another emerging trend is the increasing acceptance of halal food in western culture. There is an increasing population of Muslims in the West, and their visibility in the media is on the rise (Chester, 2017). As such, their culture and practices are becoming more available in the public sphere than in the past. Their food trends are thus being adopted by people who previously had no clue about Islamic cuisines (Chester, 2017). Even if they are not being fully adopted in their exquisite original version, the modified versions are creating new cuisines for the people.

There is a broader acceptance of the Muslim culture in the commercial food sector. It is easy to find a restaurant advertising their cheeseburgers as made from halal meat, to capture the ballooning market of Muslims in urban centers (Chester, 2017). However, that does not mean that every Muslim will consider the meat in that burger as halal. Some will be lured by the ad, whereas others will remain adamant that the meat is haram. This could be viewed as a contrast of two positives, with cultural progress and assimilation into the contemporary world. Regardless, it is clear that food cultures are transcending their traditional cocoons, and making waves in the rest of the world.

Position Statement

The religious choices of foods are dependent on the environment within which a person is born and raised. If one grows in a Muslim-dominated community, they are likely to adopt the Islamic approach to food selection, and similarly it would happen if one was raised in a majorly Christian setting. It is important for the people who live in such communal settings to understand the food choices of their neighbors and friends. For instance, a Christian friend may invite a Muslim friend and make pork for them, and prepare some wine to take after meal. It shall be an awkward situation for both when the good meal is rejected, and the Christian will feel embarrassed of their ignorance.

Culture should never be embarrassing, and should be embraced with both hands. Learning the boundaries of each other’s culture is the critical element to consider, and the relationship shall always be harmonious. Religious practices are based on faith, and so are the rules that emanate from such a setting. Equality based in religion should include respect for such cultural decisions and food choice. There is no single person who should feel that their food selection or choices are superior to the other. Such a balance should create a better society full of respectful souls and practices.

Conclusion

Food cultures vary based on many different factors, but they are a rich part of people’s culture. Ethnicity, nationality of origin, religion, and class could all determine the food selection of a person. The differences and the similarities of the Muslims and the Christians in their food choices are clear. The strict provision of the Islamic law is the primary determinant of food choice, while the freedom of choice is the main factor in food selection among the Christians. Religious adherents are comfortable with the arrangement, and they would not rather follow a different path. The emerging trends show a society that is slowly accepting diversity when it comes to matters of food culture. It may take long to have a fully-fledged integration of different cultures between factions, but the progress towards that goal is impressive. With or without cultural barriers, their main aim of food is satisfaction and growth. Whichever way a group of people decide to achieve those goals should not be a big bother. The differences are just concepts that have broadened the culture of people from different religions living in the same communities.

Differences between Muslim and Christian Food Cultures

The primary difference is that Christians have select food without restrictions, while the Muslims are bound by laws established under their religious practice. A Muslim is not allowed to take some foods like pork, crustaceans, blood, and animal-derived additives such as gelatin. On the contrary, a Christian may take them as they deem right. It is also haram for Muslims to take alcoholic beverages. Among the Christians, the wine they take in the church in remembrance of the death of Christ is an alcoholic beverage. The choice to take alcohol among Christians is a personal choice that is not restricted by religion.

Another critical issue relating to food among the Muslims is their fasting month of Ramadan. In this period, the faithful avoid any uptake of food, liquids, and medication from the moment the sun rises to sunset (Power, 2018). On the other hand, Christians have no unified month of fasting. They fast at their own time of selection based on faith and beliefs. The Catholics – a part of Christianity – have a month they call Lent where they are supposed to fast and pray (Power, 2018). However, it is not as strictly followed and observed as Ramadan among the Muslims. Every Muslim is supposed to observe Ramadan, but there are a few exceptions. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people, those who are menstruating, children under 12 years, and chronically ill people.

Another big difference between the two religions is their meat consumption. Whereas Christians take all types of meat, their Muslim counterparts are highly selective. On the one hand, some of the unlawful meats among the Muslims include pork, dog, cat, monkey, among others (Power, 2018). For a Christian not to take the said haram foods among the Muslims, it is a personal choice. Muslims also cannot take flowing blood. The exception to this rule is when the life of an individual is in danger, with the possibility of death. In such instances, haram food can be allowed to save a life. This is one of the concepts that cast aspersions on the whole necessity of haram and halal foods.

Symbolic Foods of Religious Significance

Christians have their religiously symbolic foods, and so do the Muslims. The unleavened bread is viewed as the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, taken with the wine, which represents the blood of Christ (Power, 2018). Baklava is made by Greek Christians using 33 layers of dough to represent the years of Christ. Easter egg is associated with a new life after the resurrection of Christ, while pancakes are consumed to symbolize the ones of the Lent period. All those are foods with religious significance among Christians.

Muslims have their fair share of food practices that are religiously symbolic. Dates are eaten during Iftar as a symbol of the belief that Prophet Muhammad’s fast was broken by eating three dates (Akbari et al., 2018). Baklava is also common among the Muslims in relation to Ramadan and was common among the Balkans and Ottoman Empire. Ketupat is packed rice that taken during Eid-ul-Fitr in South East Asia (Akbari et al., 2018). Most of the religious-toned foods in the Islamic world are based on their Ramadan month of fasting and its associated festivities.

The symbolism of food epitomizes the respect and belief system of either religion. Believers in social equity and equality can take these symbols as a reason to keep pushing for the desired equality among people of different religions. There would be no point in Christians feeling that their unleavened bread and wine practice is a better practice than Muslim’s dates and ketupat. Read More