In this world of 7.9 billion population, not everyone likes to eat same kind of food. People of different regions of the same country, and of the same state often have varying food habits. Food habits of individuals in India defer from those in China, U.S., Japan, and other nations. So, what are the factors that decide the food habits of individuals? Why is food so important that it has to be taken under the essential commodities?
When a common man thinks of food, he doesn’t see nutrients, compositional properties and processing of food. For him, food has different functions. If you take a glance at how food has affected the entire society, you’ll find a number of reasons why food is a major component of our lives.
POWER: Here we are not discussing of the energy that food provides us, but the power of food itself. To illustrate, if a war had to be won in the past, then blockading the pathways of food supply to the people of that region was one of the major strategies used. Similarly, entire armies were brutally killed by mixing poison in the food.
Food exerts great power in families and societies as well. In families, children are often warned of not being provided with the dinner as a result of punishment, whereas, special eatables such as candies and chocolates are provided as rewards.
SECURITY: Individuals and family members feel secure when there is ample food available in the house, especially with the thought of sudden advent of an unprecedented crisis. For instance, during the beginning phase of COVID-19 crisis, people panicked due to the implementation of COVID protection measures fearing that a halt in transportation might lead to the scarcity of food in the market. People would not be allowed to go out to purchase food, and this developed a sense of insecurity in them, due to which they started hoarding the foods in their houses.
STATUS: There are the foods that have been considered to be consumed by the upper section of the society and not meant for the general public. These foods in the earlier days included white bread, special cakes, etc., while the general public consumed the brown and black bread. Similarly, it is considered a symbol of status to consume white polished rice and polished pulses, instead of brown unpolished rice in the present times, even if the former is less nutritious.
Many people like go on for a meal with their guests in a five star restaurant, in order to depict their status in the society.
HOSPITALITY: Whenever a guest arrives at our place, we offer them food and/or drink. In India, offering a cup of tea is considered as a friendly gesture. Almost every household serves the best possible food in their homes to the guests. There are a variety of dishes made when someone is invited for a dinner or lunch.
EMOTIONS: There are certain foods that are savored highly by individuals. It might make them reembrace the beautiful childhood days, or a vacation at their grandma’s place. There are special emotions connected to the traditional food related to one’s culture. On the other hand, whenever people are going through a mental breakdown, they tend to binge eat in order to overcome that phase. Sometimes, anger and sadness leads in denial to eat.
So, for a common man, food means a lot of other things than nutrients. It is a means to express gratification, warm gesture, welcome, pleasure, and a way to live traditions and cultures. So, ultimately, food is a way to express and communicate along with being a part of one’s appetite.
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