Avast array of culinary traditions is found in the world. A region, country, or community has its own traditional way of eating.The origin of the unique food traditions in the world dates back to many millennia.
They are health-promoting, nutrient-dense, and therapeutic. Apart from contributing to physical health and wellbeing, traditional diets also take care of mental wellbeing. A growing body of research has found that those who have adopted traditional eating patterns are less prone to psychological illnesses.
Traditional diets across the globe represent the diversity of cultures and geographies and the lofty wisdom and creativity of people. The knowledge of ancient people in identifying edible flora and fauna with medicinal and nutrient value and converting them into delicacies is remarkable. Traditional diets often consist of food with ethnomedical importance to cure diseases. Naturally, the food they eat become their medicine.
Traditional diets are rich in essential nutrients and can be portrayed as a balanced diet too.
The food tradition of each country, region, or community is an identity of the people of that group and is also their cultural heritage. There are also some foods and drinks that are endemic to some regions in the world. The know-how of their preparation is guarded by the members of the community. Such culinary legacies are held in high esteem by the community’s members.
In comparison to modern diets, traditional diets are praised as sustainable. Such diets are based on locally available seasonal produce and meat of animals that can well adopt the clime. The local food production is often small-scale which is planet-friendly and utilises local resources in a sustainable manner. Neither commercial nor mass production of food is involved in the traditional diet. Food is ethically procured and hardly contains traces of chemicals, toxins, or any other harmful ingredients that affect health.
Food
However, petering out of the dissemination of transgenerational knowledge on preparing traditional food is evident as a result of rapid societal transformation and the dwindling of the number of resource persons who hold such knowledge. Difficulty in procuring ingredients required to prepare traditional food due to increasing deforestation and destruction of natural ecosystems for mass-scale food production has also contributed to the vanishing of many traditional foods from the menus of communities.
Traditional diets are acclaimed as healthy despite the widespread popularity of modern-style diets. Traditional diets have a rich diversity of foods and drinks. Such a diet mainly consists of locally grown vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, cereals, pulses, healthy oils, fish (sea fish and inland fish), poultry, dairy, healthy beverages, and confectioneries.
In many traditional diets in the world, daily intake of plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, pulses, healthy oils, spices, and herbs is commonly observable. These plant-based foods are rich in dietary fibres and help keep the digestive system healthy and prevent conditions such as constipation. Some researches have suggested that traditional diets rich in plant-based food with high fibre content can inhibit colorectal cancer (colon cancer). Whereas modern diets that include more processed foods such as red meat and food made of refined flour may increase the risk of colon cancer and other diseases in the digestive tract.
Although animal protein is included, the intake is not regular as the plant-based foods in traditional diets are widespread. The choice of animal protein in most traditional diets is restricted to fish, lean meat, and egg. Consumption of red meat is rare due to cultural and religious adherence. Whereas the traditional diet of some indigenous communities consists of red meat (yak meat in the diet of Tibetan pastoralists and moose meat in indigenous Alaskans’ diet) bush meat is also included in many traditional diets. Traditional diets of some countries include milk and unprocessed dairy products in their daily diet. Ghee made of cows’ milk is commonly used in traditional Indian cooking.
Spices and herbs
The use of spices and herbs is a distinct feature of traditional diets. They also enhance the immunity of the body and provide antioxidants to fight free-radicals. Most spices and herbs which are found in traditional diets help inhibit communicable diseases such as common cold and cough. Some spices such as cinnamon are said to control blood sugar levels, thus inhibiting diabetes.
In the ancient days when technology was not advanced, fermentation became a way to preserve food. Hence, fermented food too became a part of their diet. Fermented foods provide probiotics to keep the gut microbiome healthy. A healthy gut microbiome promotes the health of the nervous system.
Modern diet includes more trans-fat such as butter, margarine, and refined oils which are unhealthy. Traditional diets are prepared with healthy vegan fat such as olive and coconut oils or animal fat such as ghee. Healthy fat is also supplemented by fruits such as avocados, nuts such as groundnuts and cashew nuts. Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds also contain healthy fat. Animal products such as oily fish too supplement the oil requirement. Such foods are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help keep the cardiovascular system healthy. On the contrary, those who follow traditional diets but are reckless in their oil intake can run a risk of increasing cholesterol levels in the blood.
Studies have found that traditional diets reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It has also been found that those who regularly adhere to a traditional way of eating have reduced mortality as well as morbidity risks. Developing other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and malnutrition conditions such as obesity is also reduced. In contrast, eating too much starchy staples such as rice and yams may contribute to an increase in body weight.
Every country, region, or community has its own sweetmeats and confectioneries which also make its cultural identity. Traditionally, these scrumptious confectioneries are prepared using unrefined sugar, flour, and oil and are healthy options to satisfy one’s sweet tooth with relish.
Water is the main drink in traditional diets. Apart from water, drinks made of dried herbs and spices are commonly consumed. Natural juices from fruits, vegetables and milk can be found too. Although the traditional diet of many countries, regions, and communities is praised as healthy, there are ones that are not so healthy. For instance, some foods consumed by indigenous Alaskans are regarded as unhealthy. Traditional European diets such as the German diet is rich in fat and salt. A moderate amount of oil is healthful but too much of it can make a person ill.
A dietary transition away from the traditional healthy way of eating to an unhealthy modern diet is a serious issue to be given significant attention by the authorities. Although modern diet is frowned upon as unhealthy, this diet has been able to make significant changes in the way people eat. This dietary pattern, however, has successfully been able to cross the geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries to find a place in the plate of people in every country. Globalisation has bolstered this scenario. Nowadays, even the country-dwellers, members of backward communities, people with lower income, and indigenous and aboriginals have incorporated unhealthy Western foods and drinks into their diets.
Others, due to convenience and ubiquity, have adopted the modern-day style diet without much consideration about their health.
Unhealthy food
Supermarkets, restaurants, and junk food outlets across the globe sell unhealthy food. The modern or Western pattern diet consists of processed, pre-cooked, and packaged food with high sugar, salt, and oil content. Modern dietary patterns which are high in refined sugar and flour, commercially produced processed animal products cause the drain of the planet’s resources and are identified as a greater contributor to global warming. Waste of resources and loss of food are also inevitable in the process of mass-scale food production.
It is noteworthy that those who regularly consume such diets fall prey to non-communicable diseases and malnutrition conditions such as under-nutrition and obesity.
Although there is widespread knowledge on the importance of the consumption of healthy and home-produced food, the majority are attracted to junk food. The high demand for such unhealthy modern food can be associated with a vast range of factors such as their taste, prevalence, convenience, price, attractive promotions and advertising.
Even so, some countries, communities, and regions have not shifted from their traditional and healthy dietary and culinary patterns.
Dr. Naveen De Soysa is the Assistant Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association and the Registrar in Community Medicine at the National Institute of Health Sciences. Panchamee Hewavissenti is a culinary researcher and recipe creator