Bengali dietary taboos

The vast majority of people are taboo on eating pork, are prohibited from touching food with their left hand, and are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol in public places. In addition, different religions and ethnic groups have their own dietary restrictions. In actual scenarios, they need to be flexibly adjusted according to the identity of the person they are interacting with.

Don’t believe it, I went to Dhaka to do research on the textile industry chain two years ago. As soon as I got off the plane, I was stopped at the airport exit by Mahmoud, the receptionist from my partner. The first thing he said was not a welcome, but he reached out to search my backpack: "I just saw you stuffed two packs of pork jerky before boarding the plane. If you take it out later, we will both be kicked out of the restaurant." ”

This was the first time I felt the constraints of Bengali dietary taboos. 88% of the local population believes in Islam. According to Islamic law, pork is an "unclean food". Not only is it inedible, but talking about and carrying pork products in public can easily arouse the resentment of local people. Of course, not everyone eats it. Local Christians and some indigenous people in mountainous areas have the habit of eating pork, but they usually only eat it in private residences or extremely hidden niche restaurants. It will never be sold in public markets or ordinary restaurants. Tourists should not take a chance and ask the stall owner if they sell pork. Last time I asked casually at the Chittagong street market, the stall owner's face suddenly grew long. Several locals who were shopping next to him looked over, and were so scared that they quickly apologized and ran away.

What's more embarrassing than accidentally picking up pork is touching food with your left hand.

When I first visited a local farmer's home, the old lady who headed the household brought a plate full of hand-made rice sprinkled with curry. I was holding my cell phone in my left hand to record research records, and subconsciously reached out to pick it up. The old lady retracted her hand and the smile on her face froze. The translator next to me reacted quickly and touched my arm to remind me to switch to my right hand. Later, he explained to me that regardless of whether you are a Muslim or a Hindu, Bangladeshis believe that the left hand is used to deal with dirty things. Even if you have just washed it with disinfectant three times, reaching out with your left hand to touch food or take tableware is a great disrespect for the owner. Oh, by the way, there is another point that many guides make mistakes: not all Bangladeshis eat with their hands. Young people and middle-class families in the city now also use spoons and forks to eat. If you are not used to using your hands, just ask the host for tableware and no one will think you are strange.

Another common pitfall is drinking.

Bangladesh has clear laws across the country that prohibit locals from drinking alcohol on any occasion. Foreign tourists can only buy alcoholic drinks at foreign-related hotels and duty-free shops with special licenses, and they can only drink them inside the hotel and never take them to public places. I once had a colleague who drank half a bottle of beer in a hotel. He felt bored and wanted to take it out for two minutes. He was stopped by the security guard as soon as he walked to the hotel door. The taxi driver waiting next to him waved his hand and refused to take the taxi. He also muttered to him for a long time. Although the translator later said that he didn't say anything unpleasant, the scene was so embarrassing that he was picking his feet.

Of course, not all rules are rigid. Most of the remaining 10% or so of the local population are Hindus, and their taboos are reversed - beef, because cows are sacred objects in Hinduism. If the person you are dealing with is a Hindu, don't mention eating beef, and don't bring gifts like beef jerky to your door.

Nowadays, young people's attitudes towards these taboos are also divided into two groups: many young people who have studied abroad and work in multinational companies will not mind you eating the non-halal meals you brought when you gather with friends in private, as long as you don't force them to eat taboo foods, and they will even curiously ask you how it tastes.； But conservative believers feel that this relaxation is a blasphemy to their faith, even if it is just eating at the same table with people who eat pork. So when you are really not sure about the standard, just ask the locals around you. No one will deliberately embarrass uninformed foreigners.

I have visited more than a dozen cities in Bangladesh, and overall I feel that the locals are very tolerant of foreigners. If you accidentally violate a taboo, as long as you sincerely apologize and show that you do not understand the local rules, basically no one will hold you back. After all, no matter where you go, the essence of the food rules is to respect each other, and it is always right to be more careful.