Ethnocentrism and food preferences

The existence of groups and subgroups with differing cultures gives rise to the phenomenon known as ethnocentrism. Internalized standards tend to be taken for granted and regarded as ‘natural’.

Food preferences are perhaps the most familiar aspect of ethnocentrism. Every culture has developed preferences for certain kinds of food and drink and equally strong negative attitudes toward others.

It is interesting to note that much of this ethnocentrism is in people heads and not in people’s tongue. Physiologists acknowledge sharp differences in taste perception from one individual to another, and psychologist have to take into consideration personal life events when dealing with food preferences and rejections.

Certain variations in food preferences between human groups may result from the natural selection of cultural variations, The evolution of human doest is almost certainly by genetically transmitted biases that make some food taste good.

We have all heard stories about people being fed a meal of snake or horse meat or something equally repugnant in American culture and commenting on how tasty it was – until they were told what they had just eaten upon which turned green and hurriedly asked to be excused from the table.
Ethnocentrism and food preferences