Consumer Behavior

focusing on the Food

Cultures
Mrs. Salma Atif Sheikh

Submitted By:
Khurram Jehanzeb
Zahid Rasul Khattak
Sikandar Kamal
Hassaan Amjad Khan

Submission Date:
January 7, 2010
Thursday

Bahria University of Management Sciences, Islamabad Campus

 Acknowledgement
This report could not have been accomplished without the
splendid support of Mrs. Salma Atif Sheikh (Instructor, Consumer
Behavior). Invaluable assistance was provided by the Syed Ijlal
Haider, Shahid Mustafa Haq, Muhammad Amar Ali, Liaquat Ali.
To all, I extend my sincere thanks.

_______________ _______________
Khurram Jehanzeb Zahid Rasul Khattak

_______________ _______________
Sikandar Kamal Hassaan Amjad Khan

2|P a ge
 Table of Contents
Food culture & religion ………………………………… 05

Syrian food culture ………………………………… 06

Food culture and taking it slowly ……………………. 07

Thai cuisine ……………………………………………. 08

Indian Chinese food ………………………………........... 09

How the mughals influenced the Indian cuisine …. 10

Barbecue is a common Australian icon ……………… 11

Italian food culture ………………………………………. 12

Children‟s perceptions of sweets in their foods ….. 13

Pakistani cuisine ………………………………………. 15

Changing popular culture of Indian food ………………. 26

Japanese food culture …………………………………. 19

Fast food nation ……………………………………….. 20

Local food culture ……………………………………….. 22

Essay …………………………………………………… 30

3|P a ge
According to Shiffman & Kanuk:
Publication of Pearson Education (Low Price Edition)
Placed in Library (Page No. 429, Book Record No. 658.8342 S291C 2004 8276)

Fitness and health are becoming life style choices for many
consumers. Americans pre-occupation with fitness and health has
emerged as a core value. This value has manifested in number of
ways like tennis, racquetball, jogging etc. Added these trends is an
enhances consciousness on the part of Americans that “YOU ARE
WHAT YOU EAT”

4|P a ge
SUMMARIES OF THE ARTICLES

5|P a ge
FOOD CULTURE & RELIGION
By: Better Health Channel
source: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Food is something which is very important element in religious

ceremonies of any religion including Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism and Buddhism. Just like its importance it is the most
critical thing to understand as well, even if we try to explain such a
complex and vast topic then off course it would be impossible to
cover each and every element related to that particular field.

This article is covering the religious food cultures of different

religion and describing what is allowed and what is forbidden in
the respective religions. The writer picks the religions and
describes the allowed and restricted things in the bullet forms.

Furthermore, the writer presented couple of suggestions related

to the help. Like, if someone is confuse and facing problems in
identifying or in understanding the food culture then what he
needs to do.

Writer also presented few points to remember which includes that

food is the most important part of any religion, role of food is very
complex in the religious and social beliefs, if somebody is having
a guest from different origins then that person should serve both
vegetarian and meat to his guests with few alcoholic drinks as
well.

6|P a ge
SYRIAN FOOD CULTURE
By: Sarina Roffé
source: www.americansephardifederation.org/.../Syrian%20Food%20and%20Culture. pdf

This article explains the Syrian food culture, according to this

articles Syrian food is rich in vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts,
beans and spices. The people at Syria use the same ingredients
in different ways in manufacturing of the different dishes. Lemon,
onion, mint and garlic are used in huge quantities.

In the Syrian food culture, it is very important that how you

present it and it does matter a lot usually they serves vegetable
after stuffing it with meats. They garnish the dishes which are
most basic as well. Main meals include meat, chicken or fish, with
a vegetable, salad and rice dish. Usually, they people serve
coffee and drinks after the meal.

Syrian cooks are renowned because of their choosy behavior

towards purchasing the food items, writer also describes the
Kibbe & Lahamajini in depth.

Syrian style potato salad is seasoned with lemon and imported

allspice, oil and salt. Avocado salad is seasoned with imported
cumin, garlic, oil, salt and lemon. There are also a variety of bean
salads. These salads represent the real cuisine and culture of
Syrian Jews.

Difficult to master craft is that of making cheese, either tring

cheese or white cheese. Kosher liquid vegetable rennet is difficult
to find, but is needed for white cheese. The art of making string
cheese comes from melting the working cheese to just the right
texture and pulling and twisting into shape. Now days we can get
anything which we make at home from the market.

7|P a ge
FOOD CULTURE & TAKING IT SLOWLY
By: Joanna Savill
SOURCE: www.nationaltrust.com.au/files/.../magazine-spring07-page14-15.pdf

Food is something which is very important element in religious

ceremonies of any religion including Christianity, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism and Buddhism. Just like its importance it is the most
critical thing to understand as well, even if we try to explain such a
complex and vast topic then off course it would be impossible to
cover each and every element related to that particular field.

This article is covering the religious food cultures of different

religion and describing what is allowed and what is forbidden in
the respective religions. The writer picks the religions and
describes the allowed and restricted things in the bullet forms.

Furthermore, the writer presented couple of suggestions related

to the help. Like, if someone is confuse and facing problems in
identifying or in understanding the food culture then what he
needs to do.

Writer also presented few points to remember which includes that

food is the most important part of any religion, role of food is very
complex in the religious and social beliefs, if somebody is having
a guest from different origins then that person should serve both
vegetarian and meat to his guests with few alcoholic drinks as
well.

8|P a ge
Thai Cuisine
SOURCE: http://www.chinatownconnection.com/thai_food.htm

Almost three decades ago Thailand was confound with china

republic or Taiwan but not now. Now Thailand is famous for Thai
cuisine specialty of Thai cuisine is that their every dish consist of
four basic flavors i.e. sweet, sour, salty and spicy this make them
only one of their kind.
There is huge menu of Thai cuisine variety of dishes from
appetizer to heavy meal different for new comers and Thai cuisine
categorize their customer in different ways age gender and old
and new customer these qualities make it a complete family
restaurant throughout the world.
Thai cuisine is best place for hangouts with friends especially for
youngster because it consist of huge variety of foods from
appetizer to heavy meal. They use large spoon to take as much
you want at the end of the meal they serve you with a large palate
full of French fries which ensure that no one goes away hungry…

9|P a ge
Indian Chinese Fusion Food
By: Hemalata
SOURCE: http://www.chinatownconnection.com/indian-chinese-fusion-food.htm

India has been the cross road for many people and culture. Indian
food culture reflect different colors of world‟s food cultures so
Chinese brought their culture cuisine into Indian cooking or modify
local cuisine into new form. In china spicy foods are known as
Indian spicy food.
Some famous dishes of China are modify in a way that now they
are enjoyed and knows as Indian Chinese these dishes are good
in these and healthy as well these Indian Chinese foods are
served as a main course. And can b eaten with fingers or
chopsticks
The cuisine of India is characterized by the use of various spices,
herbs and other vegetables grown in India and also for the
widespread practice of vegetarianism across many sections of its
society. Each family of Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide
assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. As a consequence,
it varies from region to region, reflecting the varied demographics
of the ethnically diverse Indian subcontinent.

10 | P a g e
How The Mughals Influenced The Indian Cuisine
By: Sham Said

SOURCE:

www.ezinearticles.com/?How-the-Mughals-Influenced-the-Indian-Cuisine&id=3401209

Indian is a place where one can see reflection of every culture

people use to came here from round the world for different
purpose some for business some for employment and for war as
well and every 1 leave their part of cultural impact. Muslim rule
India for a large period of and which effect their food culture
some addition that Muslim made to their cuisine is add kabab rice
with meet and also add different dry food to their sweet dishes
Hindus who were converted to Islam some of them change their
diets and some remains vegetarian which change Muslim food
culture as well but still some basic habits not are changed.
India's religious beliefs and culture have played an influential role
in the evolution of its cuisine. However, cuisine across India also
evolved due to the subcontinent's large-scale cultural interactions
with neighboring Persia, ancient Greece, Mongols and West Asia,
making it a unique blend of various cuisines across Asia.

11 | P a g e
The Barbecue Is A Common Australian Icon
By: Lauren Hills

SOURCE:

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-BARBEQUE-is-a-Common-Australian-Icon&id=3384949

This barbecue originally sat on a wobbly cart, which made the

heat uneven and the oil pool in a corner. The new built-in bench is
constructed of special concrete and tiled, with meranti doors
underneath to hide the gas bottle. A mosaic feature was created
to hang above.
Thanks to Australia for inventing serving a delicious food B.B.Q
Australian love B.B.Q the Ute was very successful in Australia
because they provide extra space for barbeque and another
product by Australia hills hoist which invented for drying cloths but
some people we it as a shade at a barbeque by simply throwing
rug on it Australia and we patricide in the area where they are
arranging barbeque veritimate was a product which was no
made for barbeque this product which was not made for
barbeque this product was for toast and sandwiches but most of
Australian use it in barbeque to make their meal more tasty
Australia is a sport loving country and earn gold medals in
swimming and which adults complete against earn other children
set a crawl for barbeque

12 | P a g e
Italian Food Culture
By: Ana Maria Da Costa

SOURCE: http://ezinearticles.com/?Italian-Food-Culture&id=1128633

Italian beliefs that their food culture is the world strongest food
culture that is part of their spirituality Italian decorate their food
very well and give them attractive shaped the traditional pasta is
made with tomatoes and bacons and hugs spaghetti with a hole
pasta in Italy more important for women than make up they had
decided times for cappuccino they take cappuccino in breakfast
not before it or after breakfast Italian love to drink beers specially
when friends met. there are number of number of bars in every
city of Italy Italian treat salad and a side dish second dishes even
in hotels you have to make separate order for salads and they are
very stick and time punctual regarding their meals and will never
eat any thing if they are late they don‟t like to try at new food they
love their food because of it purity never mix with other food
culture.

13 | P a g e
Children’s Perceptions of Sweets in Their Food
Culture
By: R.J. Neale, Silke Otte and C.H. Tilston
SOURCE:

www.emeraldinsight.com_Insight_ViewContentServlet_contentType=Article&Filename=_publish
ed_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0170940602

It‟s a common thinking that development of food habits occur in

early age and remains the same afterwards. The behavior of
children is highly affected by the factors which are responsible for
their food choice.
Some researches let us know how children respond to food and it
is concluded that advertisements plays a vital role in the food
choice. The food is favored which is advertised through television.
German and English children have different choices of chocolates
and snacks. The quality of German‟s choice is better than that of
English children n their taste is developed on socio-economic and
educational basis.
Prohibition of advertisements at the time when children are
watching TV and concept of packed breakfast restrict the increase
usage of snack food products in German children.
A survey has been done in which the English and German
children were interviewed to estimate what concept of sweets
they have and later they were compared on the basis of culture,
social class and gender. Social classes were divided into three
parts and later into two and then the measurements were taken.
The results varied on this basis.
14 | P a g e
The English and German children have different way of thinking
about sweets when they were asked to grade sweets.
The decrease consumption prominent in German girls, however
the behavior of boys was different than that of girls; there was
increase consumption.
Social classes and gender also effected the food consumption.
Most of the children did not perceive the fruits which are sweet in
taste, as "sweets".
Measures were taken to decrease the sweet‟s consumption in
U.K. Moreover, sweets were taxed to reduce their usage.
There was more consumption in German children than the
English children. Gender, culture, social classes and education
were important factors in the evaluations. Most importantly
everyone had their own concept of‟ sweets'.
Lollipops were rated on top by English children and mars bar by
the German children, and this difference of ratings was mainly
because of the difference in their social classes.
However the own perception of every child about sweets varied
the consumptions and usage.

15 | P a g e
Pakistani Cuisine
By: Osman Mazhar
SOURCE: www.msstate.edu/org/psa/frontpage/articles/cuisine.html

Pakistani foods are enriched with variety of taste. Number of

factors which have influenced on such diverse tastes of foods
include religion Islam, empires cuisine cultures, class differences
etc. The basic food which is part of almost every Pakistani meal is
chapatti. Special food items are made on particular occasions e.g.
vermicelli on Eid-ul-fitar, delicious meat dishes on Eid-ul-azha. In
Mughal era several costly items were added for making lavishing
food, which are still cooked e.g. tandori chicken, shahi tukra.
Dishes are served with taste enhancing items like chatnis, sauces
etc. Dishes are also decorated giving them appealing look like
desserts have silverfoil coated on their surface. Regional
influences also affect the daily food items of people. Overall
taking look Pakistani foods are high in flavor and known for their
richness.

16 | P a g e
The Changing Popular Culture of Indian Food
By: Ashis Nandy
SOURCE:

www.sagepublications.com

Traditionally most discourses on food have centered on health

and nutrition in China and on social and religious rituals in India.
The idea of health and ritual under globalization are, of course not
the older. Food is now supposed to remedy of some of the health
problems like obesity, malnutrition oenological disorders etc. diets
have a political history framed by class, cultural and imperial
relation.
There are four main aspects of this article i.e. the changing idea
of authenticity which explain the fact that all the cuisine of India
are borrowed
openly from virtually every corner of the globe. This includes all
the rich vegetables and spices which Indian thinks are there
specialties are borrowed from different part pf the world. India is
known for its spices, but some of its most important spices,
including a few that are central not only to cuisine but to
indigenous healing traditions, have come from outside. Similarly
the cuisines are palao and biryani are not desi cuisines rather
Persian and Arabic and these two are the important ceremonial
and function dishes in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh . potato is
also consider to b an important form of the Indian cuisines and
there are atleast 300 different preparation of potato in region.

17 | P a g e
The emergence of fast food come in India in the second half of
the 19 century in form of MC Donald and pizza hut but the history
of fast food in India is very old and come in the shape of dosai,
vada, tiki, puri and dahi bhala . these fast food items are also part
of Indian functions, like puri and dosa is served in marriage
functions and dinner parties along with other cuisines.
The second major development is the way in which, during the
last five decades, formal or ceremonial food in metropolitan India
has increasingly come to be dominated by two cuisines, the
Mughal and the Punjabi. These cuisines are widely surved in all
over India, in restaurants and other ceremonial functions. In
England there are almost 1500 indian restaurants which serves
these Punjabi and mughal cuisines no mater they are run by
Bengali‟s or Gujarat‟s.
Bengalis, have always sung the glories of Bengali food but, when
it comes to eating or serving food outside the home, they tend to
choose some version of Mughal, North Indian or, less frequently,
European food, by which they usually mean Indianized British
food, given fancy French or Italian names. Bengali food for most
Bengalis is decisively not a restaurant food. The restaurants or
cafeterias that serve Bengali food are usually seen as lowbrow
„eating places‟.
Indian Chinese is one of the fastest growing cuisines in India. The
adaptation came in the form of an Indianized Cantonese style,
considered more suited to the palates of Europeans, North
Americans and Anglicized South Asians. It is a clue to the global
hierarchy of cultures that the spicier Hunanese, Szechwanese

18 | P a g e
and Thai cuisines became popular in spice-guzzling South Asia
only after they became popular in the West.
The popular culture of food is influenced not merely by the
political interplay of cuisines and mutating tastes but also by less
institutionalized roles for food that collective experiences in
contemporary times have created. These experiences ensure that
food in some cases gets associated not only with traditional
concepts of health, illness, and nutrition or serves as a cultural
marker of status, taste, and cultivation, but also carries the
reflections of personal and collective milestones and traumata.
Food has become the stuff of memory, sometimes more important
than the death of family members and friends. The lost village,
too, is remembered through food. It is a village uncontaminated
by religious hatred and, as such, also has to be remembered as a
place where water was sweeter, vegetables greener, and milk
purer.

19 | P a g e
Japanese Food Culture
By: Extracted from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website

SOURCE: www.mofa.go.jp

The typical Japanese meal consists of a bowl of rice a bowl of soup pickled
vegetables and fish or meat. While rice is the staple food, several kinds of
noodles are cheap and very popular for light meals. As an island nation, the
Japanese take great pride in their seafood. A wide variety of fish, squid,
octopus, eel, and shellfish appear in all kinds of dishes from sushi to
noodles.

Sticky, short-grained rice is the staple food in Japan. Uncooked rice is

called kome. The cultivation of rice in paddy fields traditionally required
great cooperation between villagers and this is said to have been central to
the evolution of Japanese culture. Their are several thousand varieties
grown in Japan, with Koshihikari and Akita Komachi being among the most
popular.

Popular alternatives to native Japanese fare include Chinese-style stir-fried

meat and vegetable dishes and Korean-style grilled beef and pork. While
many families continue to eat homecooked meals every night, the greatest
change taking place in eating habits in recent decades has been the
replacement of home-cooked dishes with food prepared outside the home.
Japan‟s most famous contribution to global food culture sushi is generally
eaten at sushi restaurants where customers sit at the counter and call out
their orders item by item to a sushi chef.

Japanese-food boom overseas, with explosive growth in the number of

Japanese restaurants in major cities worldwide. The majority of Japanese
restaurants abroad serve sushi, and most also offer a variety of other
choices such as tempura.

20 | P a g e
Fast Food Nation
By: Eric Schlosser

SOURCE: www.srherbs.com

It's no good denying it: people like fast food because it can taste
pretty good. But what they may not know about is the cocktail of
chemicals that gives the French fry its delicious taste. Fast food
success has drawn much attention to the industry and the food
itself. Animal rights advocates and health buffs alike criticize fast
food on its effect on the health of its customers and the health of
the globe. Not only is fast food proven to be bad for the health
because of its high fat content and the probable health hazards
fast food chains are prone to, but also its effect on employment
and agricultural concerns.

Fast food is everywhere. It is available from main commercial

blocks to gas service stations. In short, it is available and
accessible. This partnered with the biological propensity towards
food high in fat and sugar, leads to widespread obesity.
Ultimately, dining regularly or almost totally on fast food will pose
serious risks to one‟s health. But it cannot be totally blamed for
health problems. Mainly because it still rests on the person‟s
choice. There are plenty of fast food diners in perfect shape. The
key is in moderation and smart choice. Fast food domination has
several implications both for the health of individuals and for the
health of the entire globe. Ultimately, people can exercise their
power of choice responsibly. Be more conscious with what they
eat and where their food came from. This is the starting point for a
healthier lifestyle.

Over the past three decades, an industry that began with a

handful of hot dog and hamburger stands in southern California
has spread to almost every corner of the globe. Fast food is now
21 | P a g e
served at restaurants, stadiums, airports, zoos, schools and
universities, on ships, trains and aero planes, at supermarkets,
petrol stations and even in hospital cafeterias. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) does not require flavor companies to
disclose the ingredients of their additives, so long as all the
chemicals are considered by the agency to be GRAS (generally
regarded as safe). Man-made flavor additives were used mainly in
baked goods, sweets and soft drinks until the 50s, when sales of
processed food began to soar.Fast food chains have come under
fire from consumer groups such as the Center for Science in the
Public Interest, a longtime fast food critic over issues such as
caloric content, fats and portion sizes.

22 | P a g e
LOCAL FOOD CULTURE

Historical Influences:

The arrival of the Islam religion within the Indian subcontinent has
influenced the local cuisine to a great degree. Since Muslims are
forbidden to eat pork or consume alcohol, because they are
considered Haram, Pakistanis focus on other areas of food such
as beef, chicken, fish, and vegetables as well as traditional fruit
and dairy juices.

The Mughal Empire began its rule in present-day Pakistan around

1526 AD. Its style of cooking influenced the need for herbs and
spices, almonds, and raisins. Many of these items were either
brought through trade from the Far East or Europe. The Mughal
culture has had an important contribution to cooking techniques
within Pakistan. Even till this day it remains an important part of
Pakistani cuisine. Foods such as kebabs, curries and barbecues
are some of the most enjoyable cuisines that have made
Pakistani food popular in the twenty-first century.
Elements:

Garam Masala is a very popular blend of spices used in many

Pakistani dishes. In fact, Pakistani dishes are pretty much known
for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavours. Brown
cardamom, Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Mace
and black pepper are the other main ingredients used to make the
wide variety of dishes throughout Pakistan. Cumin seeds,
caraway and bay leaves are also very popularly used. In the
Punjab province it is further diluted with coriander powder.

23 | P a g e
Eating Habits:

Pakistanis generally consume three meals a day: breakfast,

lunch, and dinner. During the evening, many families have tea
which goes along with baked/fried goods from local bakery (or
prepared at home). During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan,
the eating patterns change to: Sehri and Iftar. It is considered
proper to eat only with the right hand as per Islamic tradition.
Many Pakistani families particularly in rural areas still eat their
food served on a table cloth known as which is placed on the
floor.

Breakfast:

A typical Pakistani breakfast, locally called nashta, consists of:

eggs (boiled/scrambled/fried/omelette), slice bread (pan
fried/toasted), parathas (lacha/qeema/kolcha) with tea or Lassi,
qeema (mince meat), fresh seasonal fruits (mangoes, apples,
melon, bananas etc), milk, honey, butter, jam, shami kababs, and
nuts. During holidays and weekends, halwa puri and channay is
also favoured. In the Punjab Sarson ka saag (Spinach) and Maaki
ki roti (cornbread) is a local favourite and in Karachi, breakfast
might even include Nihari and siri-payee (trotters and head,
usually goat or cow). Due to the hot weather and comparatively
high amount of physical activity, Pakistani breakfasts tend to be
very heavy.

Lunch:

A typical Pakistani lunch consists of meat curries or lentils along

with bread or rice. Another popular lunch dish is potatoes with
meat. Other curries such as meat combined with cabbage or
biryani is also popular. Alternatively, for workers, nihari, bun
kebab sandwich, and fried fish is regarded highly.

24 | P a g e
Dinner:

Dinner is considered the main meal of the day as the whole family
gathers for the occasion. Lentils are almost never consumed for
dinner as they are usually considered a day time meal. Food
which requires more preparation and which is more savoury (such
as haleem, pulao, kofte, kebabs) are prepared. These are served
with rice or bread (or both) along with yoghurt, pickle and salad.
The dinner may (not commonly) be followed by dessert ranging
from anything from fruit to traditional desserts like kheer, gulab
jamun, shahi tukray, gajraila, qulfi or ras malai.

Curries:

Curries, with or without meat, combined with local vegetables

such as bitter gourd, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, cabbage,
potatoes, rutabaga, saag are most common and cooked for
everyday consumption.

An iconic Pakistani dish is karahi, either mutton or chicken cooked

in a tomato sauce. This dish is enjoyed all over Pakistan and
reflecting the country's diversity, karahi differs depending on the
region in which it is being cooked.

Korma is a dish of Mughlai origin made of chicken or mutton,

typically eaten with rice and is very popular in Pakistan.

Lentils:

Various kinds of pulses also make up an important part of the

Pakistani dishes. Lentils, called daal, have nevertheless
traditionally been considered as an inexpensive food source and
hotel/restaurants may only offer a limited variety of these dishes.
Lentil dishes are also typically not served when guests are invited
at home or during special occasions.

25 | P a g e
The one main exception is haleem (also known as Noah's
pudding) which contains a variety of lentils, rice, wheat, barley,
appropriate vegetables if desired and sometimes even figs along
with meat. A batch of haleem will typically take over four to five
hours to cook. Haleem is often served on religious occasions
such as Muharram. A similar dish of Kashmiri origin is Hareesa,
which also incorporates all the above mentioned and stewed
slowly over a stove.
Barbecue:

Barbecue food is extremely popular and is a speciality in Karachi

and some cities of Punjab such as Lahore, Gujranwala and
Sialkot and the North West Frontier Province. All BBQ dishes
incorporate a variety of herbs and spices and are therefore very
flavourful rather than being just dominated by chilli. Among well
known dishes are chicken tikka,Mutton Tikka, Sheekh Kebab,
Bihari Kebab and chakna. Sajji is a Baluchi dish from Western
Pakistan, made of lamb stuffed with rice, that has also become
popular all over the country.

Varieties of Bread:

Pakistanis also eat flat round bread (roti) as a staple part of their
daily diet. Pakistan has a variety of breads, often prepared in a
traditional clay oven called a tandoor. Some of these are:

Chapatis - Most common bread at home, made of whole

wheat flour. They are thin and unleavened.
Naan - Unlike chapatis, naans are slightly thicker, typically
leavened with yeast and mainly made with white flour. They
may also be sprinkled with sesame seeds. called Kulcha.
They are often served with Sri Paya and Nihari for breakfast.
Kulcha - This is a type of Naan usually eaten with Chickpeas
and Potatoes.
26 | P a g e
 Tandoori Roti - These are extremely popular all over
Pakistan. They are baked in a clay oven and are consumed
with just about anything.
Roghni naan - Naan sprinkled with sesame seeds and
covered with a minute amount of oil.
Sheermal - Prepared with milk and butter, and is a vital part
of food served in marriages, along with Taftan. It is often
sweetened and is particularly enjoyed by the kids.
Taftan. This is a leavened flour bread with saffron and small
cardamom powder baked in a clay oven.
Kandahari naan - Long naan originally from Western
Pakistan.
Paratha - A flat many layered chapati separated by ghee
(similar to pastry dough), originating from Punjab. Parathas
are commonly eaten for breakfast and can also be served
with a variety of stuffing.
Puri - Is typically eaten with Halwa or Bhurji (made out of
chickpeas and potatoes).

Halwa Purian or Bhujia with Puri (now commonly known as

Poorian) has also become a typical breakfast in Pakistan. They
are sold sometimes on make shift carts or otherwise in breakfast
stores.
Tea varieties:

Pakistanis drink a great deal of tea (locally called, chai). Both

black and green tea (sabz chai/qehwa) are popular though qehwa
is often served after every meal in the NWFP province. Kashmiri
chai, a pink milky tea with pistachios and cardamom, is drunk
primarily at weddings and during the winter when it is sold in
many kiosks. In northern Pakistan (Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan),
salty buttered Tibetan style tea is consumed.

27 | P a g e
Western Influences:

Pakistani dishes are also taking a lead in the western direction, as

many Pakistanis are trying out new and modern foods. Many
westernized restaurants and fast food outlets are dotted in all
parts of Pakistan. The Punjab and Sindh provinces, where the
majority of urban, western culture has been greatly advanced and
has chains of many American, European and British chains in
many metropolitian cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad,
Hyderabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and many
others. Marketing and advertisements have made these a heaven
for social and modern spots for all Pakistanis to try out.

28 | P a g e
ESSAY ON THE FOOD CULTURE
IN THE LIGHT OF ARTICLES
AND
RESEARCH PAPERS

29 | P a g e
Before starting the essay on the food culture we would like to
narrate few lines which reflects our interest in the particular field
or which will tell you that why we have chosen this field to study
on:

“The reason of selecting food culture was that it is one of the

most interesting topic to research upon and it has more than
many different aspects to study on, and never the less food is the

foremost basic necessity for life as well”

30 | P a g e
Essay:

Food is an important part of any religion which includes Christianity,

Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism (Channel, 2003). The role of food
actually does vary person to person, may be if a person loves to eat beef
burger then at the same time his friends or his social circle loves to eat
chicken burgers. Any introduction to such a diverse and complex topic will
not be able to include everything.

Understanding the role of food in cultural and religious practice is an

important part of showing respect and responding to the needs of people
from a range of religious communities. For instance, if we need to serve a
number of people who belongs to the religion Islam then we should know
about the limitations of their respective religion else we would not be able
to present them a food which delights them.

Syrian
Food
Culture

Fast Indian
Food Food

We play, we jump, we crawl and we eat this is all our childhood is basically.

31 | P a g e
Similarly, many of us are having our favorite childhood memories and many
of these are related to the food (yan, 2005). Food is basically more then a
food for us, here the term us is referring the Asians, its deeply ingrained in
our social & cultural experience (yan, 2005).

Like Asia, Syrian food is rich in vegetables, grains, fruit, nuts, beans and
aromatic spices. The same ingredients are used in different ways in
different dishes and blended into an assortment of dishes. Lemons, onion
and garlic, as well as mint and parsley are used in vast quantities. Syrian
bread (known as pita) is served at most meals and is used to dip into
pastes and salads.

In Syrian foods, presentation is everything. Individual hor d‟oeurves are

stuffed with vegetables, and vegetables are stuffed with meats. Even the
most basic dishes are garnished (Roffe, 2007). Basically Syrian food is
highly depending on fresh vegetables and fruits; thus Syrian Jews are
particularly choosy about their purchases. Many fresh fruit and vegetable
grocers have gone out of business when their fare was not of the caliber
expected.

In Sub-Continent, people use to cook the food items on a very high

temperature which will help to eliminate the risk of certain diseases from
the food for instance, Bird Flue. We normally love to eat the spicier and
fried things in our meals which will ultimately become the cause of gastofil,
high blood pressure, heart diseases and the high fat food items are
responsible for diseases like fat stone etc (Sayed, 2010).

According to the research, it is proved that mostly people in Pakistan go for

the hotel dining when they have guests or when they need to celebrate
some birthday etc. (Khan, 2007).

In Asia, now we are moving towards fast food culture at a very alarming
pace. As, we all know that fast food includes burgers, snacks, cutlus, pizza
etc and all of these things are cooked in oil and contains fats which harms
human health in a long run as discussed earlier.

32 | P a g e
 Pizza

FAST
FOOD
INCLUDES

Burgers Snacks

It's no good denying it: people like fast food because it can taste pretty
good. But what they may not know about is the cocktail of chemicals that
gives the French fry neither its taste - nor the grisly events in the
slaughterhouses that can put something nasty in the burger along with the
beef (Schlosser, 2001).

Fast food items does really taste a good flavor, most of the Americans do
prefer fast food in their meals and that is the reason they are fat people
because fast food contains fats in it which is the reason of the fatness
which ultimately harms their medical health afterwards (Sayed, 2010).

One meal at a fast food restaurant may contribute a significant amount of

fat and sodium for the day. For example, McDonald‟s new Spanish omelet
bagel contains 710 calories, 40 grams of fat, 275 mg of cholesterol and
1,520 mg of sodium (Corcoran L, 1998).

If food can be a reflection of our dissolution and suicidal tendencies, food

can also be a record of our violence and ethnocide proclivity. Not merely
because eating together, commensality, can define the boundaries of an in-
group, but also because of the way in which eating or drinking can be
turned into a traumatic instance of humiliation.
33 | P a g e
References:

Channel, B. H. (2003). Media Networks. Victoria.

Corcoran L, H. J. (1998). The Dangers of Eating Fast Food. Nutrition

Action Healthletter .

Khan, D. A. (2007). Research Scholar. Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

Roffe, S. (2007). Syrian Food and Culture. Syrian Food and Culture , 1.

Sayed, S. C. (2010, January 05). Classified Medical Specialist, Head of

Department of Medicine. (K. Jehanzeb, Interviewer)

Schlosser, E. (2001). Author. Fast Food Nation , 1.

yan, M. (2005). Cook. The food culture on Asia , 32.

34 | P a g e