Diet taboos of various ethnic groups

The essence of the dietary taboos of various ethnic groups is the dietary behavior boundaries formed by different ethnic groups in the course of thousands of years of historical evolution, combined with the living environment, religious beliefs, and folk traditions. There is no distinction between superior and inferior. When ordinary people interact with friends of different ethnic groups, the only core principle that needs to be followed is to "respect first, do not judge at will, and do not deliberately offend." There are not so many complicated rules and regulations.

Last summer, I went to Qinghai to shoot footage of the Tu Nationality’s June Meeting. I was looking for a restaurant to eat at noon. I raised my hand and wanted to order fried vegetables with lard residue. My friend who was doing ethnic culture research in the same field suddenly pulled my sleeve and knocked over the butter tea that had just been poured on the table. The boss smiled and waved his hand and said that the butter tea was spilled. It was a blessing. My friends told me in private that most of the local Tu people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, and many people avoid eating odd-toed and five-clawed animals. It is best not to order meat fats such as lard that the Han people often eat in public places, so as not to make the local people eating next to them uncomfortable.

Many people's first reaction is to think that dietary taboos are determined by religion. In fact, this is not the case, but religion is indeed the most easily perceived cause. For example, ethnic groups that believe in Islam, such as the Hui, Uyghurs, and Kazakhs, generally follow halal dietary regulations. The core is to avoid eating pork, dead animals, blood, and livestock slaughtered without reciting the name of Allah. But the specific implementation standards are not uniform: the young Hui friends I know in Yinchuan will not take the initiative to eat pork. When dining with Han friends, it will be fine as long as there are halal dishes on the table, and they will not ask people at the same table not to order pork. ； However, the older generation of believers or those who open halal restaurants have very strict requirements in this area. I have seen people take out their own pork buns to eat in halal noodle restaurants before. When the boss invited them out, they made a video and shouted, "I am free to eat whatever I want."

There are also many taboos that have nothing to do with religion. They are completely rules accumulated by our ancestors based on their survival experience. Not long ago, I stayed at a B&B in the Manchu Autonomous County of Kuandian, Dandong. The boss’s big yellow dog had been with their family for eight years. When we chatted during dinner, the boss said that most of the Manchu people do not eat dog meat. It is not a feudal superstition to break the sky. Our ancestors are fishermen and hunters, and they hunt in the mountains in the ice and snow. Dogs are life-saving partners. Over time, it has become the default rule of the entire tribe. There are debates on the Internet now. Some people say that hunting is no longer necessary, so this taboo should be abolished. Others say that the rules passed down by our ancestors cannot be changed. In fact, it is not so absolute. I have met young Manchus who do not shy away from eating dog meat, but they will never mention it when they return to their hometown for family banquets. In essence, it is respect for the elders and culture, and it is not a black and white argument.

There are also some taboos that are tied to local funeral and sacrificial customs. Even the rules of different villages of the same ethnic group are different. A few years ago, I visited a Tibetan home near Namtso. My Ajia said that the older generation rarely ate fish because there was a tradition of water burial in the area. Fish were the "scavengers" for the dead. Eating fish was tantamount to offending the ancestors. However, I met them on Barkhor Street in Lhasa. A young Tibetan man squatted on the roadside and ate charcoal-grilled saury. It tasted delicious. He said that the elders in his family didn't mind, as long as they didn't mention eating fish on solemn occasions such as sky burial sites and monasteries. It was not as exaggerated as the saying on the Internet that "all Tibetans don't eat fish."

I have been a cultural tourism planner for almost ten years and have led tours to areas inhabited by more than 20 ethnic groups. I really don’t have any practical experience. In fact, I don’t need to memorize the “Encyclopedia of Taboos of Various Ethnic Groups”. If I really want to treat guests or visit someone’s home, I can just ask in advance “Are there any?” "Taboo" is enough. If people are willing to tell you the reasons, just listen. If you don't want to tell them, don't ask questions. Don't make fun of other people's taboos. Saying "Pork tastes delicious, but it won't hurt you if you take a bite." This kind of saying is not humorous, but lacks quality.

Last time in a Lahu village in Pu'er, Yunnan, a fellow villager killed his own native chickens and treated us to corn wine. He didn't say a lot of rules before eating, but just mentioned a few words with a smile: the chicken heads should be given to the most distinguished guests, and don't knock the bowl with chopsticks. We followed the instructions and had a lively meal without so many complicated details. To put it bluntly, dietary taboos have never been used to restrict outsiders. They are more about the recognition and inheritance of their own culture by the people of their own nation. You don’t need to figure out the ins and outs behind each taboo. As long as you have a sense of propriety and put yourself in others’ shoes, you won’t go wrong. After all, compared to memorizing a bunch of rigid rules, sincere respect is the most effective passport.