SOUTH

ASIA

COUNTRIES OF SOUTH ASIA• Pakistan

• Sri Lanka• Bangladesh• Nepal• Bhutan• India

RELIGIONS OF SOUTH ASIA

I S L A M C H R I S T I A N I T YB U D D H I S M H I N D U I S M

ISLAM

• Dietary laws are Halaal (good food) and Haram (bad food) based on Koran

• Can’t eat carnivorous animals, pork products, sea animals which do not have fins or scales (some Muslims),

• Meat has to be prepared in the correct way (Halaal)

• They avoid lard, gelatin, rennet, whey, vanilla extract.

• Utensils should be separate, there should be no contamination between Halaal and non- Halaal

• Never throw away food –sharing

Celebrate Ramadan- a month of fasting (refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sex during daylight hours)- teaches Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to god.

BUDDHISM

• It is a protestant revolt against orthodox Hinduism.

• Monks For monks, food is eaten to keep the body alive so the spiritual path can be followed, not for taste

• Believe in nirvana

• They eat what they are given as respect

• Celebrate Buddha’s day where they commemorate his enlightment and his death

• Commonly lacto-ovo-vegetarian- they believe in taking the life.

• Others believe they can eat meat if they didn’t kill it or if it was killed specifically to be eaten by them

HINDUISM

Strong about purity and believe that -water and foods cooked in

water are polluted by the touch of a person of lower caste than the person who consumes them or of anyone who has become unclean

-not bathing-not putting on clean clothes -after polluting events such

as defecation or menstruation.

  HOLIDAYS- Diwali, Festival of Lights-celebrate the

victory of good over evil- Holi, Festival of Colors- Honor the death

of Holika in order to save Prahlad- Pongal, - give thanks for the harvest- Dusshehra - 10 day celebration

They adhere to concept of ahimsa which avoiding inflicting pain on animals Many are vegetarian.

- do not eat beef (cows are sacred)

- no garlic, onions, mushrooms, turnips,

or alcohol- can eat chicken, turkey, goat

PAKISTAN 1947 received independence from India

Mostly hot dry desert

Divided into 4 regions: Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, northwest frontier province

Environments current issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial waste, agricultural runoff which limits natural fresh water.

Majority of the population doesn’t have access to portable water, and there’s soil erosion.

Average family is patriarchal, husband is the only wager in the family and wife stays home with kids.

98% Muslim, small numbers are Hindu, Christian, Sikhs, and Zoro Astrians

FOOD HABITS OF PAKISTAN

• Eat more than 3x the amount of meat then other Asian countries

• Commonly consume rice- usually Basmati rice

• Staple foods-Wheat, dairy foods from cow and water buffalo

• Whole milk yogurt (dahi) used to prepare yogurt and vegetable side dishes (Raytas)

• Lassi is a popular beverage

• Legumes especially chickpeas and lentils are served daily as a side dish.

• Fruits and vegetables are available but they are not consumed in large amounts

• Traditionally eat 2 meals a day

• Breakfast- if consumed it’s a light meal (flatbreads- puris, sweet porridge or a legume dish.

• Lunch and dinner are large meals- include meat, poultry or fish dish.

• Traditionally meals were served in large trays and eaten with hands while sitting on the floor, but now they’re more European influenced and eat at tables with utensils

HEALTH CONCERNS OF PAKISTAN• Foods rich in

spices and cholesterol, cause stomach and liver diseases

• Rural suffer under nutrition Nearly 1 in every 2 Pakistanis suffer from hunger

• Urban areas suffer over consumption and have a high intake of calories, sugar, total fats and cholesterol, leading to a high number of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

• Overweight and obesity in adults is estimated at 25%.

• Biggest killer of children under 5 in Pakistan is diarrhea and acute respiratory infection- from malnourishment

• Poor sanitation• Food prices have

increased in the past 7 years to the point that almost half of the population is dependent on food assistance.

 

SRI LANKA• Is an island off the coast of India- in the

Indian ocean (pearl of the Indian ocean)

• 69% Buddhist, 7%Muslim, 7% Hindu, 6% Christian

FOOD HABITS OF SRI LANKA• Hot and spicy foods

• Base of the food is rice, which they eat with curry, vegetables and fish

• All the dishes are cooked on the base of coconut milk and flavored with spices

• They like to drink tea and coffee

• Several varieties of fruits are available: mangos, pineapples, watermelon and plantains

• Dining etiquette- eat with right hand

BANGLADESH• Most of the country is on large

Rivers flowing from the Himalayas

• The climate is tropical with mild winters, hot humid summers, warm rainy months

• Mostly flat planes and hilly in the southeast

• 80% Muslim, most are Sunni Muslims but there is a small Shia community, 12% Hindu, some Buddhists and Christians

FOOD HABITS OF BANGLADESH

• They use a lot of spices like hot curry powder

• Drink chai-milky sweet tea

• They have mangos, lichees, bananas, watermelon and pineapples

• Rice is their staple food

• Breakfast of panta is very common – it is a plain boiled rice soaked overnight in water and slightly fermented

•

• Moon or huroom (puffed rice) or cheera (flattened rice), or khoi (popped rice) are other items of a traditional breakfast

• If invited to a meal it is rude to flatly turn the invitation down

• Many people eat with their hands

• Guests are generally served first then the oldest, continuing in order of seniority

• Do not start eating until the oldest person at the table begins

HEALTH CONCERNS OF BANGLADESH

Waterborne diseases such as dysentery, hepatitis, intestinal parasites and typhoid are prevalent

Arsenicosis, which is arsenic contamination in water; can result in cancers

Vitamin A deficiency in children resulting in night blindness

There is a high number of natural disasters, such as floods and storms, that destroy crops

Highly susceptible to HIV because there is a low use of proper protection

Common diseases include: malaria, dengue, leptospirosis

NEPAL• Landlocked between India and China

• Contains the Himalayan mountains including

mount Everest

• 80% Hindu 10% Buddhist and 4%Muslim

• One of the poorest countries in the world

FOOD HABITS OF NEPAL

• Meals are often eaten seated or squatted on the floor, although urban restaurants have tables and chairs

• They’re known for their good nutrition

• Mainly eat rice and snack on breads like chura and rito

• Himalayan cuisine- potatoes, meat of yak

BHUTAN• 23% Hindu , 2% Muslim 75%

Buddhist

• Has monsoons

• Humid and subtropical

FOOD HABITS OF BHUTAN

• Chiles are used in almost all dishes.

• They consume rice with their meat and vegetables

• Red rice- short grain

• Eat cheese - cows milk and yak

• Meats and fish imported from India

• Most dishes boiled in water with oil

India

80.5% Hindu 13.4% Muslim 2.3% Christian 1.9% Sikhism

Holidays in India: Independence day-

August 15, from British rule in 1947

Republic day- January 26, the date on which the Constitution of India was established

Gandhi Jayanti- day to honor Mahatma Gandhi, the “Father of the Nation” and is celebrated on his birthday October 2

FOOD HABITS OF INDIA

• Dishes use spices such as bay leaves, asafetida, cardamom, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cilantro, cinnamon, and cloves.

• Known for widespread practice of vegetarianism,

• Commonly eat grains legumes, fruits and vegetables

• Average Indian eats half a pound of rice each day.

• Eat a lot of Dal, which is the Hindi term for dried beans, peas and lentils

• They use Ayurvedic medicine using diet, herbal remedies and meditation to reestablish equilibrium between the sick and the universe• Foods are classified as hot or cold depending on their effect on the body and must be balanced for each condition• Dairy products are common- yogurt and ghee (clarified butter)• Masalas are mixtures of spices and herbs (fresh and wet or dried)• There is a great division in diet between North and South India• North- wheat, tea, eggs, pickled fruits, dry masalas• South- use steaming, rice, coffee, fresh pickles, pachadi (seasoned yogurt side dishes) same as Raytas in the north, spicy masalas

DINING ETIQUETTE OF INDIA• Always use the right hand

when eating or receiving food, left hand is seen as unclean

• Indians traditionally do not use cutlery for eating, because foods such as breads and curry are best enjoyed when eaten with the hands

• Using the fingers, food should be scooped onto the flatbread and quickly brought to the mouth

• It is rude to let food stain the outside of your fingers or your palm

• Food is only to be eaten with the tip of the fingers

• But soups and rice can be eaten with spoons

• In formal settings, they have to wait for the eldest person to eat before everyone else starts

• Hands should always reach to the mouth, the plate should never be lifted up

Delhi Palace

Cuisine of India

Health ConcernsIn India

• India supports a population of 1.2 billion people in a land area roughly one-third the size of the United States.

• 1 With only 2.4 percent of the world’s land area, India is home to over 15 percent of the world’s people. 

Primary public health problems include tuberculosis, waterborne parasites, respiratory infections, and perinatal conditions, including low birth weight and trauma.

 The maternal mortality rate (MMR), which measures the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, is 400, compared to 11 in the United States. 

Forty six percent of children under the age of five are underweight for their age.

There are an estimated 2.3 million HIV positive cases in India — the largest number in the world after South Africa and Nigeria. 

According to UNICEF, two percent of central government expenditure goes toward health care

Heart Disease• Heart disease has

emerged as the #1 cause of death in India

• – A clear shift from the past 6 decades, when infectious and diarrheal diseases were the main causes of disease in India

• – In India diabetes is often associated with heart disease; in fact heart disease is quite often a complication of diabetes

• World’s leading killer – 16.7 million global deaths in 2003 – 29.2% of all causes of death globally.

• India accounts for 60% of global burden

• 118 million in 2000, 214 million in 2025 (projected)

Diabetes• Greater than 32

million diabetics in India

• 26% of India’s adult population shows glucose intolerance (inability to digest glucose from food)

• India is the “diabetes capital” of the world – responsible for 19% of the worldwide incidence in diabetes in 2005; h to increase to 22% by 2030.

Cancer• Oral and stomach

cancer are the commonest cancers among Indian men

• – Tobacco use (smoking and chewing) is the primary reason for the high incidence of oral cancers

• Cancer of the uterine cervix is still the commonest cancer among Indian women

• Breast cancer is emerging as a leading cause of cancer in Indian women

• Life expectancy at birth m/f (years). 63/66

• Probability of dying under five (per 1 000 live births). 66

• Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population). 250/169

Health Concerns When Traveling to India

Diarrhea• This very common

travel ailment is encountered by many travelers and usually results from the consumption of contaminated food and water.

• Preventative measures: Only drink bottled water.

Malaria and Dengue Fever• Both of these

diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes and are most problematic in areas where there is stagnant water for mosquitoes to breed.

• Mosquitoes carrying malaria usually bite at night, while the dengue fever carrying "tiger striped" mosquitoes bite during the day.

Typhoid• This bacterial disease is usually transmitted by food or water that’s contaminated with the feces of an infected person.