CULTURE SHOCK IN FOOD

What is considered normal in one, tribe city, region or country may be an oddity or even an abomination in another. There’s a popular saying in Ghana, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” – which echoes the fact that your favourite meal could be an abhorrence to your neighbour. For many of us, our first experience of culture shock in food is when we start to interact with others from outside of our homes: ingredients used in making food, the mode of consumption and associated practices regarding food among others. A few instances of culture shock in food and the extent to which they exist are illustrated in this article.

“Do you know the people in Ghana eat trees?”, a sister remarked over the phone to her fully-bred American older sister. The people in Ghana do not eat trees, we only prepare our food with some part of the vegetation. This sister was prepared a cup of herbal drink using some herbs so that she could be relieved of an illness. She was bewildered. She had probably forgotten that ‘trees’ were the main source of a large percentage of the food she enjoyed. She was astounded by what she had seen. Since she was close to some Ghanaian folk in her home country, she had become aware that snails and crabs were delicacies. She managed to eat two crabs after much conviction. The mere sight of a snail, on the other hand, irritated her to the core.

“People knowingly and intentionally make soup with the faeces of the grasscutter? Why? Isn’t it poisonous or something?”, another shocked fellow questioned when she learnt the secret behind her tasty soup. Just like how people find it very ordinary to eat frog legs or cook with a snail, others are enthralled by preparing delicacies with whatever interesting substances come out of an animal.

The not-so-new obsession Ghanaians have over boiled eggs has been brought to the international limelight by our Nigerian fellows. However, you may be surprised to know that boiled eggs are also a delicacy in Sierra Leone. Do not be surprised to find an egg even in a bowl of soup! The level of pepper and spiciness Nigerians enjoy also comes as a shock to those who may not be aware before trying a Nigerian meal.

Practices associated with food may be surprising to people not accustomed to the area where such practices are predominant. For example, in Japan, tipping a waiter or waitress is considered insulting and disrespectful, whereas in some other countries, it is almost mandatory to tip a waiter. In Ghana, anybody seen eating with their left hand will be given an awkward stare, as the left hand is considered filthy. If they are discovered to be left-handed, they are sometimes let off. Among Ghanaians, it is still a shock to people when they realise that while some people prefer to start their day with something as light as a hot chocolate drink and a slice of bread, others go medium heavy with waakye or gob3 (beans and plantains), and a few others go maximum heavy with swallows such as banku, or fufu.

Could the food practices associated with some people or their love for a certain type of food substance be an explanation for the prevalence of certain illnesses in such areas? Culture shock associated with food will never cease to exist.