Research Of The Food Taboos In Nigeria And F Papua New Guinea

The food taboo is a prohibition against consuming certain foods. The word "taboo" is Greek word means forbidden or abstinence, which has quasi-magical or religious overtone. It was introduced in the anthropological term literature in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Within the field of food and nutrition, food taboos are not always have connected with religious-magical practices, and some nutritionists prefer to speak of "food avoidance. " The geographical basis often become cultural reason of food taboos exotic or strange food will be rejected as not fit for consuming. It is of interest to note that food avoidance most frequently relates to animal meat, since in most cultures human beings have an emotional relationship with animals they have to kill to eat. However, to illustrate some of the complexity of reasons possibility for food taboo five examples have been chosen, namely traditional food taboos in Hindu society as well as aspects of dietary restrictions report in communities with traditional lifestyles of Nigeria And Republic of Papua New Guinea.

Medical and ecological become a clear background for many people, including some related to their spiritual origin and religion. On the other hand, food taboos are also used to compensate natural resources. Rather true or not, food taboos are often aimed to protecting humans themselves, for example, food that cause allergies, contain bacteria and so on. Food taboos are also recognized by some groups as part of the way to maintain their identity in front of others. In Hindu Scripture, society has divided into 4 castes based on work, it is Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra. This Castes is also compared to human body with Brahmin (priest) representing the head, Kshatriya (Defense) as the army, Vaisya (peasant and merchant) as the stomach, and Shudra (Labor) as feet. The Brahmins are the most sacred of the other castes, they do not consume meat, fish and eggs, they are not even thought to bring the food into their homes. Orthodox Brahmins even distance themselves from dishes that contain red and white onions, because they are believed to increase sexual desire and anger. For milk and milk products can be consumed but limited, because cows are considered sacred as "holy mother".

On the one hand, people who do not enter the Brahmin caste sometimes take part in eggs, fish and meat (crushed beef). But in religious events, meat, eggs and fish have never been cooked or eaten during religious events such as weddings and other religious events. Widows are also forbidden to eat meat, eggs and fish, to keep their appetite low. After the new month on the 11th day, many Hindus do not eat grain, and instead eat their staples. Pregnant women are also banned from eating jackfruit and young papaya, because substances in these fruits can interfere with fatal growth. In Hinduism, plants are also believed by people to have life like other living creatures, even though in a calmer and less active form. Using plants as food ingredients is considered less sinful than killing animals, but they should not be taken excessively and damaged. In Bhagawan Gita "food in the mode of goodness increases the duration of life, purifies one's self and satisfaction. Foods that are nutritious, sweet and tasty can be fattening. Bitter, sour and spicy food, people like in a passionate fashion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and illness. Foods that are cooked long before being eaten in are not stale, rotten and unclean, are foods that people like in ignorance". Although the message conveyed is very strong, the instruction to do or not to do is still not clear enough, it only describes the effect of what we eat, and which will eventually return to the individual itself. Therefore, food is not chosen can be said to be taboo food by people.

With a variety of ethnicities and cultures, food taboos in Papua New Guinea vary widely. The food taboo is designed to protect humans from disasters and epidemics. Onabasulu and its surroundings are very suspicious of organisms that live from the soil or live underground. Diseases that come are often considered to come from the wrong food intake, such as those who suffer from abdominal pain are not allowed to eat juicy fruits such as pineapple, watermelon and papaya. Women who are considered sick during menstruation, are prohibited to consume red foods such as fresh meat, watermelon and red forest fruit. They also believe that if the animal meat that consume by women assume menstruates comes from traps, then the trap will no longer be effective in the future, and if caught by a hunting dog, hunting dog will lose its ability to hunt. As with meat, if they eat red fruit that is in the forest or in their garden, then the tree will stop fruiting as before. Women are also prohibited from cooking during menstruation, if so the husband who eats food from his wife who is menstruating will contract the disease. Pregnant women are also not allowed to eat fish and eggs.

Likewise on Kirwina Island, pregnant women also have a lot of food taboos to enjoy: there pregnant women are very avoiding eating fish that live in turbid water or whose habitat is attached to coral, it is believed can cause abnormalities or defects in babies when they were born. The same thing is believed to be caused by fruits, bananas, mangoes and papayas again being the culprit. The fruit is believed to cause hydrocephalus, club foot, distorted stomach or cause abnormalities in newborns. Besides that, different food taboos also apply to men. If men intend to go fishing for sharks, they not only stay away from sexual relations for a while, but they also have to fast and drink lots of salt water in jumblah first.

Continent Africa has a very large size which provides a variety of food taboos. Many parts of the African tribe avoid fresh milk by adults, although for Mesai, Fulbe, Nuba and other East African groups, this group is considered by the fighters and youth have very healthy food patterns. Western Nigerians are chosen as examples of good food taboos from most of the population of Nigeria. Food taboos have not been worn on people, especially for the strongest people in the section. In some parts like Afemai, Isoko and Ishan, pregnant women are very avoiding eating snails, while pregnant women in Asaba are not allowed to drink milk and eat eggs, all. It is believed that it can cause their children to have bad qualities after they grow up. In the Woen tribe pregnant women are also banned from eating porcupines because they are believed to be the cause of extinction in labor. Interestingly in the Urhobo tribe, women who had just given birth were advised to consume food that was used in eating rats. Following delivery, young mothers in parts of Benin and Ishan Divisions must not consume oil or fresh meat and in parts of Ishan, palmnut soup is forbidden for 30 days postpartum. Men have fewer food taboos to observe, but nevertheless some also exist. Snail consumption may weaken a warrior's strength and to kill and eat some legendary animals that have helped a particular tribe in the past during intertribal warfare is totally forbidden. Thus, in some areas the partridge or bush fowl is not eaten; in others it is some water reptile or the porcupine or even the sheep that are protected by the food taboo. Beans are one of the plant species that are not eaten, because they are believed to cause stomach disorders. Beans are one of the plant species that are not eaten, because they are believed to cause stomach disorders.

Interesting enough to know that food taboos are very diverse. Cursing in Hinduism, food taboos are influenced by caste and more towards respect for food or living things themselves. As in Papua New Guinea, they believe that eating the wrong foods can cause disasters for people and themselves. Negeria also has similarities to food taboos in New Guinea, although there are several food taboos that are designated for health, evenly these two countries have the same in applying food taboos to their people.