India+-+FCP-+PD1+-+SP11

1.How is that society's food a reflection of the culture's beliefs? behaviors? (8)

North Indian food is a reflection of the society's beliefs because according to the Hindu religion and the Aryans, food should be treated with great respect and should not be wasted. Food is seen as responsible for the birth and development of all people. Most Hindus are vegetarian, but many eat meat since only certain types of meat are avoided. Hindus believe in giving food for charity and fasting to purify the body. The food a culture eats has a significant effect on the cultures behavior. For example depending on the prefered diets of a local community (often based on religion) certain jobs in agriculture or in livestock businesses will differ based on the local areas demand for the product. Besides being a contributing factor of local agriculture the dietary beliefs of the culture is mainly rooted in the religion of zed culture, for example in the Hindu religion many take a strict stance in vegitarianism as their beliefs cherish life and the purity of the food they eat.

2.In what way does food represent the cultural norms of the greater region? (8)

Because of the large population of Hindus in the area, there are certain restrictions on food in Northern India. The Hindus don't eat cows or beef because they believe that the cows are sacred. Because of this there is not a lot of beef in dishes from this area. Also, there is a lot of wheat available in this area. This leads to the making of many different types of breads that are also made all over India but are more available there.The soil in this area is very fertile so vegetables are common in many dishes. Pakistan is very close to Northern India, so the Muslim culture has a large influence on the food in that area. Due to this, pork is not a big staple of food in Northern India.

3.List 4 cultural dishes and why they reflect that society's culture?

Four traditional dishes in North India are Palak Paneer, Biryani, Gajar Ka Halwa, and Kheer. Palak Paneer is a curry made with creamy spinach gravy and paneer, which can be described as Indian cottage cheese. Biryani is a dish made with rice, spices, and meat depending on the type of Biryani. Gajar Halwa is a creamy carrot dessert made with carrots, milk, and ricotta cheese. Kheer is a sweet rice pudding with raisins, spices, and nuts.

First, all of the dishes have dairy products in them. The Palak Paneer has paneer or Indian cottage cheese, the Biryani has ghee or Indian clarified butter, the Gajar Ka Halwa and Kheer both have milk in them. This reflects the society's culture because Hinduism is a major religion in India. One of the reasons cows are considered sacred is because they provide milk, so it makes sense that in a country with many cows, there would be many dairy products used in the cuisine. The majority of desserts in North India do contain dairy, whether it be in the form of clarified butter known as ghee, or khoya, which is similar in consistency to ricotta cheese. Secondly, traditionally the dishes are vegetarian due to the Hindu influence, but in the north there are quite a few meat dishes. These dishes are influenced by the Mughal Empire and Pakistan, which used to border North India. Biryani is a dish to which meat can be easily added. Common meat dishes also include chicken tikka, butter chicken, and a variety of tandoori meats.

Moreover, North India has high temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Due to these separate seasons, North India has more variety of fruits and vegetables available in the cuisine than other regions in India that do not have distinct seasons. Wheat is dominant in North India as well. This leads to the cooking of more breads such as parathas, chapatis, and naans compared to South India, where rice is the main staple. Therefore, while only Palak Paneer is mentioned, there are many curries made due to the diverse vegetables available and there is a variety of bread to be eaten with the curries.

4. Why is food important to that culture? (Other than sustenance, of course!) (8)

Food is a symbol for celebrations. During large celebrations in India food is served on banana leaves, and the longer the leaf the bigger the celebration. (Bellows) Food is used in a variety of celebrations including prayer ceremonies and the food used in these is called prasad. This food is offered to the Gods. Diwali is a main festival in India, and many sweets are consumed during this festival (Gami). Food is not only a symbol of celebration but also of "Tradition, ethnicity, geographic location, religion and individual preference (B.).

 Works Cited   Bellows, Mary, and Ellen DeFay. "Food in India." //College of Agriculture and Natural Resources//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 June 2011. < []

[2004, B. Shrestha, and updated July 2009]. "Brief Introduction to Indian Food [Food-India.com]." //Indian Food and Cuisine Guide [Food-India.com]//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 June 2011. < []

 "The Cuisine of North India - About North Indian Food - An Introduction to North Indian Cuisine." //Indian Cuisine - Indian Food - Step-by-step Indian Cooking and Recipes//. Web. 02 June 2011. .  "Faithandfood Fact Files – Hinduism." //FaithandFood.com//. Global Tolerance Limited, 2009. Web. 2 June 2011. .  "Food of India, Food Culture of India, Food Recipe India, Food Recipes and Culture India."//India Tourism, India Travel Guide, Tourism in India//. Web. 02 June 2011. .   "Gajjar Halwa Recipe, Gajar Ka Halwa, Carrot Halwa Receipe, Carrot Halva Recipe." //Indian Food Recipes, Indian Food Recepies, Indian Cooking, Indian Cuisines//. Web. 02 June 2011. .

"Hinduism and Food." //HinduWebsite.com//. HinduWebsite.com. Web. 2 June 2011. . <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 12pt;">"India Country Culture Information with Food Information and Recipes from Asia." //Asian Food Recipes, Asian Cooking Culture, Recipes from Thailand, Asia Foods Recipe, with Asia Herbs,asia Culture, Hinduism and Islamic Food Recipes, Food Ingredients, Recipe Glossaries and Cooking Techniques//. Web. 02 June 2011. <http://www.asiarecipe.com/indinfo.html>.

"Indian Food Ethos." //IndiaNetZone.com//. IndiaNetZone.com. Web. 2 June 2011. <http://indianfood.indianetzone.com/1/food_ethos.htm>. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 12pt;"> "Indian Food Historical Influences." //Indian Food at Indian Food Gourmet//. Web. 02 June 2011. <http://www.indianfoodgourmet.com/Indian-Food-101/Historical-Influences/indian-food-historical-influences.html>.

"North Indian Cuisine |Easy Destination." //World Travel Guide| Easy Hotel Booking| World Travel| Online Travel Guide| Cheap Hotel Deals|//. Web. 02 June 2011. <http://www.easydestination.net/NORTHINDIAN.html>.