Food & Culture
Food preferences and eating norms vary remarkably across countries, within a country, and even within the same person over time. For example, eating beef is commonplace in many countries, but in India it violates religious beliefs and is considered disgusting. People in some cultures eat insects, while people in other cultures find the idea horrifying. Rules about what and how to eat are absorbed from surroundings and do not require direct experience; for instance, few people who are revolted by the idea of eating a bug have actually eaten one.
Cultures can migrate from one set of norms to another, depending on conditions. Famine and poverty may establish norms about thrift that can last generations, while abundance may have the opposite effect. In countries like the U.S., food norms have changed such that quantity is favored over quality, whereas in French culture, the opposite is true.
Where, when, why, how fast, how much, and with whom one eats all change depending on culture. Many of these factors affect the healthfulness of the diet. Some cultures foster a healthy relationship with food, and others do not. Changing the food environment requires a detailed understanding of the cultural factors that influence food preferences and patterns.