Cultural and religious beliefs influence many aspects of the human experience. They determine how people think, behave, and differentiate “right” from “wrong”. They also influence their preferences and choices about food and drink.
The Food and Beverages (F&B) sector must consider these influential factors to serve their customers and ensure that they never feel ignored. By considering cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs during meal planning and delivery, they can serve customers better and make them feel wanted and adored.
Food: Part Of A Person’s Religious And Cultural Identity
All over the world, people connect to and identify with their cultural, religious, or ethnic groups through food. These groups determine what a person prefers to eat and why.
Food is also an important part of religious and cultural ceremonies, with many activities and customs centered on cooking and eating well. It is also a critical aspect of family bonds and traditions. Through food-related attitudes, practices, and rituals, people identify themselves as members of specific families or social groups. They also communicate with each other and show respect to their communities by preparing and sharing food.
All in all, food is not just a basic human need or a means of survival. It has a deeper meaning because it shapes and molds individual identities, which in turn shape cultures, societies, and nations.
Food Consumption Practices Based On Religion And Cultural Beliefs
Many religions have specific commandments around how food should be prepared and eaten. These commandments influence what the religion’s adherents cook, eat, and even order from outside.
For example, in Islam, pork is considered “haram” or forbidden, so most of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims avoid eating it. Muslims also observe a month-long fast during Ramadan where they fast in the daytime and only eat and drink after sunset and before dawn. Pork is also forbidden in Judaism. Many orthodox and conservative Jews eat a “kosher” diet wherein they follow the commandments of Jewish scripture to guide their eating habits.
Similarly, beef is forbidden in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and many other old-world religions. Hence a huge proportion of the world’s 1.2 billion Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains avoid buying, cooking, and eating beef and beef-based products. In these faiths, abstinence from the consumption of meat (including beef) stems from the belief that harming other living creatures ends up harming the human consumer as well.
These broad beliefs notwithstanding, there are variations in dietary practices among people practicing the same faith. For instance, it is acceptable to eat fish in some Hindu communities while beef is still a no-no. Similarly, some Jewish communities only consume kosher salt while others don’t mind consuming regular white salt.
Food Etiquette Practices Based On Religion And Cultural Beliefs
Religion and culture also play an important role in guiding food-related etiquette or “table manners”. In Western cultures, food is almost always eaten with the help of spoons, forks, and knives. One reason is that meat is a food staple. Since it needs to be cut into manageable chunks, forks and knives are always a part of table settings.
But in many African and Eastern cultures, food is often eaten by hand. Some Eastern cultures also use chopsticks to eat food. These cultures consume a lot of wheat-based foods like noodles and pasta, which require either forks or chopsticks.
And then there are the cultures where eating by hand is encouraged because it is best suited for the type of food being served, such as bread, legumes, and curries. Ancient cultural beliefs like Ayurveda also influence food etiquette and practices, such as eating only with the right hand, sitting on the floor for a meal, and not wasting food.
The Impact Of Religious And Cultural Beliefs On F&B
As we have already seen, culture and religion impact the food choices and consumption of people everywhere. They also determine what people buy in grocery stores and what they order in restaurants and from hotel room service. These are important considerations for the F&B sector.
F&B or F&B-adjacent businesses must consider religious and cultural influences when planning their menus for their customers. So, an airline whose customers are mainly Muslims must keep pork off the menu. Similarly, a hotel that attracts a lot of Hindu tourists must accommodate their preferences for vegetarian foods and non-alcoholic drinks.
Some cultures and diets also encourage the consumption of raw foods or foods that are as close to natural as possible. These include fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains. F&B businesses must provide such foods for customers with such preferences. Only then can they truly call themselves “customer-focused”.
Conclusion
Food, culture, and religion are closely intertwined. You can’t have one without the other. F&B businesses that understand this can effectively meet their customers’ needs and expectations. If they don’t, they risk alienating and angering customers which will ultimately impact their profits, sustainability, and survival.
