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to as the "Mother of India," because they give nourishing milk and cheese. The bull is also the vehicle of Shiva, one of the chief Hindu gods. Practically speaking, the bull can be castrated and used to plow fields and pull wagons.

Beef can only be eaten once: milk flows for many years. An ox is worth much more as a beast of burden than as a meal. In order to keep the uneducated from killing the animal for instant gratification, the cow gradually became sacred.

This dietary law didn't stop with beef. The three upper castes of the Hindus went one step farther and stopped eating meat altogether. For them it was the taking of life that was important.

The Jains of India have carried this concept even farther. They will not eat root vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes, because pulling them up kills the plant and earthworms.

Muslim and traditional Jewish religious laws forbid the eating of pork. Unless kept under strict control, the pig will eat feces and garbage and carries trichinosis, a fatal disease for man. Though pigs are now raised in clean conditions and eat high quality feed, those laws still stand.

Orthodox Jews also don't eat shellfish and scale less fish such as eels and catfish, because, like the pig, they are scavengers and considered unhealthy.

Food is far more than the object of religious law and tradition. Tastes and aromas are surrounded with memories. We are attracted to the smells of foods our mothers made, not because they are gourmet dishes, but because they are familiar. They bring back strong memories of happy childhood feasts, family gatherings and holidays.

All human beings glorify the food that nourished them. We have the overwhelming desire to share it with others. When we offer food to our guest, we are offering a part of ourselves.

Learn more about this author, Mary C Gesteland.
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