An Analysis of Food Taboos in Turkey: Culture, Religion and Society

This report examines food taboos in Turkey, focusing on the influence of culture, religion, and societal norms on dietary practices. The report highlights the prohibition of pork in accordance with Islamic dietary laws and provides insights into other food restrictions. It also explores the dining etiquette and customs, including expectations related to food consumption, table manners, and gift-giving. The report delves into specific cultural groups such as the Yariks and Alevi, detailing their unique food taboos and beliefs. Additionally, it touches upon taboos related to beverages and smoking. The report references scholarly sources to support its findings, providing a comprehensive overview of the complex interplay between food, culture, and religion in Turkey.

Taboos : Turkey
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The location, religion and culture
of Turkey
Turkey is country in located in Asia
Minor and a very small of its portion
lies in Europe.
Most of the people of the country are
followers of Islam (Alonso 2015).
The language most widely spoken in
Turkey is the language Turk and Urdu.

Staple Food in Turkey
There are many other communities that
speak non-Turk languages.
The staple food of people in Turkey is
vegetable and meat stews, kebabs along
with sour bread (Alonso, Cockx and Swinnen
2018).
They mainly drink water throughout the day.

Taboos on food in Turkey
 The major taboo in Turkey related to
food is Pork (Yener 2015).
Most of the residents in Turkey is
followers of Islam. The holy book of
Islam, known as Quran, prohibits pork
consumption.
It is believed by Muslims that pigs are
bred in extremely unhygienic condition
rendering their meat unfit for human
consumption.

Other food taboos in Turkey
Yariks are a nomadic section of Turkey
who do not consume any seafood
other than fish.
Another section of the society known
as Alevi do not eat rabbit as they
menstruate.
Turks living in the north western
province do not consume snails due to
a misconception that Quran prohibits
them.

Taboos in table and food
manners
People in Turkey are used to having
large, hearty meals.
Men especially eat a large amount of
food as per tradition.
Anybody dining with them are
expected to eat quite a bit and
complete all the food that is served
(Sarıoğlan 2015).
Leaving food on the plate is considered
unmanly and a sign of weakness.

Taboo in manners
People in turkey does not believe in
Dutch treat.
The person who invites to dine is the
one who pays for it.
If someone is invited to dinner, they
are expected to bring gifts for the
hostess.
While dining, one is not supposed to
sit cross-legged or legs wide apart. It is
considered as an insult.

Taboos related to beverages
Many Turkish people do not consume
alcohol (Boutaud, Becuţ and Marinescu
2016).
Though there are also people who
consume alcohol during meals and for
recreation.
The Turkish people smoke heavily and
may take breaks for a smoke during
meals.
At the end of the meal, their traditional
coffee is served and it is customary to at
least taste it.

References
Yener, D., 2015. Factors that affect the attitudes of consumers toward halal-certified products in
Turkey. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 21(2), pp.160-178.
Alonso, E.B., 2015. The impact of culture, religion and traditional knowledge on food and nutrition security
in developing countries (No. 2201-2019-1458).
Alonso, E.B., Cockx, L. and Swinnen, J., 2018. Culture and food security. Global food security, 17, pp.113-127.
Hamilton, M., 2000. Eating ethically:'spiritual'and'quasi-religious' aspects of vegetarianism. Journal of
Contemporary Religion, 15(1), pp.65-83.
Sarıoğlan, M., 2015. Prospects for The Turkish Gastronomy Tourism. Athens Journal of Tourism, 2(2), pp.117-
126.
King, J., 2017. Illiberalism in Political Islam as Emotion Rather Than Ideology: Moral Discourse on Alcohol
and Blasphemy in Turkey. Politics, Religion & Ideology, 18(3), pp.309-330.
Boutaud, J.J., Becuţ, A. and Marinescu, A., 2016. Food and culture. Cultural patterns and practices related to
food in everyday life. Introduction. International Review of Social Research, 6(1), pp.1-3.