Hindu Food Restrictions

India is the birthplace of the religion of Hinduism, and it has diverse regional cuisines centered on dairy, legumes, produce, and cereals. In India and Hinduism, food is more than just a tool for survival; it has cultural meaning relating to purity, ritual, kinship, and social stratification. As a result, Hinduism offers many dietary restrictions that followers can choose to abide by. Modern Indian cuisine has been changing to include more meat and to provide a dining-out culture for middle-class families. But a majority of Indians still practice Hinduism, which has an impact on the eating habits of its followers. This entry concentrates on Hindu dietary restrictions by first examining how Hindu asceticism affects diets, then by looking at Hindu diets for special life events, ...