Tag: Cultural taboos

While the idea is taboo in many English-speaking countries, horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many nations, including France, Italy, and Kazakhstan. This leads many to ask: can humans eat horse protein? The answer is complex, involving nutritional science, cultural norms, and serious safety considerations.

Billions of people around the world practice entomophagy daily, with evidence showing insects have been a food source for humans for millennia. This raises a fundamental question: were humans supposed to eat bugs?

While globally, annual rabbit meat production is estimated at over 1 million metric tons, its consumption is notably low in many Western nations, where consumers instead question: why isn't rabbit meat common?. This disparity stems from a complex interplay of cultural norms, economic realities, and industrial food production methods.

Historians note that for over 1,200 years, a strict ban on eating meat, influenced by Buddhism, prevented most Japanese people from consuming dairy, addressing a key reason why did the Japanese not drink milk. This deep-rooted cultural aversion was compounded by agricultural practices and biological factors that made dairy consumption impractical and unpleasant for the majority.