We have all heard that Muslims and Jews will not eat pork. Some are so revulsed by the porker that they will not even look at it. It is an unclean animal. Actually there are quiet a variety of animals on the bible taboo, at least in the Old Testament. They include the pig or swine, the bottom eating self fish, the ungulates with cloven hoofs or was that anything with cloven hoofs. Sheep it good. In India we have also heard of the holy cows. They are not to be killed or eaten. I've heard one ignorant commentator say that some drivers would sooner run over people than they would hit a cow. The same goes for rats. In some sect of Hinduism rats are a form of God and not to be killed or eaten.

Even the most well educated and enlightened have food taboos. Take the vegans and vegetarians. They have a lot of taboos especially the vegans. Thou shalt not eat any animal if there main religious slogan. Thou shalt not wear any animal comes a close second. You'd think that the well informed group such as vegans would know better but they are very close to their taboos. Of course they say it is for health and the environment. Then there is a highly political group with the vegan community that seems more of the extremist variety. They would criminalize any form of pet ownership, beast of burden ownership, and animal farming.

Then there are the ethnicity taboos. I was struck by how close minded the "American" variety in one Survivor TV episode. One American of Oriental descent was or wanted to eat a fish head and the others were grossed out about that. A fish head. The best and most nutritious part of the fish. It is what bears love because it is loaded with the essences for life. Of course I've known this bias about fish heads by Europeans or people from certain parts of Europe.

I know of a few food taboos. A person may not consume fish gills soon after a relatives death. I know of one skeptic that ate fish gills and suffered terrible respiratory problems as a result. Of course some of the good taboos are that prevent pregnant women or the young the choice meats. You'd begin to think that whoever made that taboo loved that choice cut.

Most westerners won't eat animal feet either. Not pork hogs or chicken feet at the dim sum. It is a pick and choose event, but when you watch westerners pass over the chicken feet, you'd think there was a conspiracy or some edict.

Even alcohol is considered taboo by some cultures. It makes men mad. That I can understand as long as it is a personal choice.

Learn more about this author, Jobie Weetaluktuk.
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