Western dietary taboos in English

The most commonly used formal English expression for "Western dietary taboos" is Western Dietary Taboos , more commonly used in daily communication and informal situations Food Do's and Don'ts in Western Cultures to express relevant dietary precautions； There is no unified list of taboos that covers all European and American countries and all people. All taboos must be judged based on the three dimensions of religious belief, regional culture, and personal lifestyle. There are no universal rules.

Speaking of which, I had fallen into the trap of stereotypes when I was an exchange student in London. It was the first time I went to a local landlord's house as a guest. I read a lot of "Western dietary taboos" in advance, and I learned a lot about "Don't put your elbows on the table, and don't have leftover food." ", you can't knock the plate with the knife and fork", but when I walked in, I saw the landlord's 16-year-old son half-leaning on the dining table, his elbow pressed against the tablecloth as he ate a cheese pizza, and no one said anything about him. Half of the rules I had memorized in advance were invalidated on the spot.

The highest priority and what can truly be considered "taboos" are religious-related dietary requirements, which are basically non-negotiable. For example, Jewish kosher rules are called in English Kosher , not only pork and shellfish are prohibited, but meat and dairy products cannot be eaten at the same meal, and two sets of cutlery must be used separately to handle the two types of ingredients； The halal dietary rules of the Muslim community are called Halal , in addition to banning pork, the ingredients must be slaughtered according to religious procedures.； Catholic believers usually abstain from red meat during Lent, and some devout believers even go vegetarian all day on Fridays. These are hard constraints, generally classified as Religious Dietary Restrictions , if it is a business banquet or a visit to a religious believer's home, make sure it is correct in advance. I used to have a work meal with a Jewish client from New York. He would rather walk an extra 20 minutes to find a restaurant with kosher certification. He even had a bit of bacon mixed in the salad and had to return the whole plate, which shows the seriousness of this taboo.

Apart from such hard rules at the religious level, the "Western dietary taboos" that many people talk about are actually more dietary restrictions caused by personal lifestyle or physical reasons, and are not cultural taboos at all. For example, vegans who are very common in Europe and America now ( Vegan ) not only does not eat meat, but also does not touch animal products such as eggs, milk, and honey. Vegetarians ( Vegetarian ) requirements are relatively loose, and some people can eat eggs and milk； There are also many people who are lactose intolerant ( Lactose Intolerant ) Can’t drink regular milk, or have a gluten allergy ( Gluten Allergy ) need to eat gluten-free ( Gluten-Free ) meals, these are very individual requirements and have nothing to do with national culture. Just saying that one American is allergic to gluten does not mean that all Americans cannot eat wheat, right? Last time I met a local guy at a market in Melbourne, he even wanted to choose gluten-free bread, but the girlfriend who came with him was holding the croissant and chewing it deliciously. It's all a matter of individual differences.

There is another widely circulated misunderstanding that needs to be mentioned: many people swear that "Westerners do not eat animal offal, heads and feet", this statement is neither correct nor incorrect. If we look at middle-class families in Europe and the United States a few decades ago, it is true that offal was rarely served on the formal dining table, but when it comes to traditional food, France’s foie gras ( Foie Gras ) is a world-class top cuisine. Spain’s roasted pig ears and roasted lamb brains are common street dishes with drinks. Scotland’s national dish, haggis ( Haggis ) is essentially a sheep belly bag mixed with sheep offal, suet and oats. These are all serious traditional foods. Not to mention now, I saw several white girls queuing up to buy braised duck heads in Birmingham’s Chinatown last month, and they were even better at chewing them than I was. The stereotype of “not eating offal” is no longer tenable.

In addition, many people confuse table manners with dietary taboos. For example, they think that "burping in public, pointing at others with a knife and fork, and making noises while eating" are Western dietary taboos. In fact, these are table manners ( Table Manners ) category, you only need to pay attention to serious occasions such as formal dinners and business banquets. If it is a casual gathering among friends, everyone is eating ribs and drinking cold beer. Who cares whether you make a sound or put your elbows on the table? Last year, I went camping with some German friends to grill sausages. They ate them directly with their hands and didn't care if the oil rubbed on their clothes. They weren't that particular at all.

To be honest, nowadays, cultures are integrating so quickly. If you really want to travel, be a guest or discuss business in European and American countries, there is no need to memorize the same "taboo list" on the Internet. Ask in advance "Do you have any dietary restrictions?" ), it’s easier to use than memorizing ten rules. After all, the so-called cultural taboos are never static. If you really try to stick to the old rules from decades ago, it will be easy to make a joke.