FOOD BELIEF

Food belief in Indonesia is better known as the myth of a food that if eaten will bring
good influence. Myth is a story, opinion or assumption in a culture that is considered to have the
truth about a case that has been valid in a past time, the truth of which is not necessarily true. So
extensive is a myth circulating in the community that people do not realize that the information it
receives is not true. Because so strong people's belief in a myth about a thing, that affects
people's behavior.
In Indonesia, pregnancy myths related to food are pretty much circulating in the
community. The tradition is very strongly applied by the community. Some myths are even
believed to be a mandate or message from ancestors which if not obeyed will have an unpleasant
effect or karma. Here are some food belief practices in Indonesia:
 Coconut water
Drinking coconut water can accelerate labor and nourish baby's hair. There is no research
to prove this myth because the smooth delivery is influenced by various factors. In addition,
coconut water is also not associated with hair fertility in infants. Green coconut water
contains a lot of electrolytes so that it will be healthy and stay in shape.
 Honey
Honey is given to infants in the Sasak tribe shortly after the baby is born. This practice is
carried out aiming that the baby after adulthood becomes sweet and generous, smiling and
friendly so that it is liked by many people. In addition, it is hoped that the provision of honey
can eliminate all diseases that exist in the stomach of a baby brought from the womb.
 Kenyamen (Young Coconut)
People who live in West Nusa Tenggara, babies are born directly given young coconut.
According to the population, young coconuts can make smart babies. In addition, young
coconut has the property to cool the baby's stomach so that the first dirt from the baby's
stomach can come out immediately. The stool is named tai nyale. If the tai nyale has come
out, the feeding of the young coconut is stopped.
 Puntik (Banana)
Giving bananas aims to make the baby full, not crying often, and at night the baby can
sleep soundly. In addition, residents believe that giving bananas will make the eyes of the
baby not farsighted and not fast graying as an adult
 Rice
Giving rice to the baby is done so that the baby's body becomes fat and dense. Giving this
rice can make the baby's bone growth become stronger. Mothers usually give rice mixed with
a little salt or banana. It aims to make the rice taste delicious and savory or sweet so that the
baby wants to swallow rice.

FOOD PREFERENCE
 Food preference is defined as the taste or dislike of food and this preference will affect
food consumption.
Factors that influence food preferences namely;
1) food availability in a place,
2) food purchases for other family members, especially parents,
3) food purchases and supplies that reflect family and cultural relationships,
4) food taste, texture and place.

In choosing certain foods that a person's experience likes can be a strong foundation,
several factors include good, pleasant, not boring, cheap, easy to obtain and process. The
appearance is a lot of things that affect consumer preferences and preferences. Thus the
nutritional value in this case is not a consideration in food selection. Understanding consumer
preferences for food is to analyze the motives that encourage someone to choose the food
products they consume. Food characteristics that affect preferences are organoleptic properties of
food, ease, method of presentation, digestibility and availability.

As for the food / drink that is most preferred by reason because of its texture, taste, aroma
and appearance is fried chicken meat, the reason for health is an apple, the reason for being
prestigious is pizza, the reason for being familiar is white rice, the reason for its practical
preparation and presentation is white bread, the reason for being cheap is yellow rice, the reason
being easily obtained is white rice.

 Biology
Some of our taste preferences are innate and help us choose from a selection of
thousands of potential nutrients and toxins. Sweet is positively associated with fruit, for
instance, while bitter flavours are (initially) avoided as they may indicate the presence of
toxins. The aversion to very strong flavours – including bitter and sour – also seems innate.
According to the evolutionary school, human behaviour focuses on selecting the best
possible food by finding out what is and is not edible, and which combinations are good and
which are not. Anthropologists in particular also believe that traditional food preparation
methods can have an influence on useful nutritional value.  For instance, using spices may
inhibit bacterial growth (i.e., decay) and traditional caustic processes remove toxic cyanide
from cassava.
 Psychology
Our food choices are largely determined by supply and cultural traditions. When
looking for logical influences in the psyche of a child, the parents, who provide the first life
experience, are a natural candidate. But the correlation between parental influence and
ultimate food preferences is surprisingly low. The same applies to other obvious influences
(relatives). Food preferences are set early in life, sometimes before birth. Many of them are
fixed by the age of two to three years, and remain the same in adulthood. This does not mean,
however, that preferences cannot change. How our preferences are formed has not been
studied at length. It has, however, been established that exposure to use is influential.
 Sociology
 Sociological differences in food choices have a strongly demographic character.
There are visible differences based on age and gender within cultures, for instance. Meat
avoiders in the Western world are usually women, and women often prefer light products as
they are more concerned with their weight. A preference for low-calorie raw food or (part-
time) vegetarianism may also be a fad, which is a quintessential form of social organization.
 Anthropology (culture)
Anthropologists who wish to know what kind of food people will choose will ask
about their culture. Culture largely determines how people look at food and eating patterns.

FOOD TABOO

Some people do not eat various specific foods and beverages in conformity with various
religious, cultural, legal or other societal prohibitions. Many of these prohibitions constitute
taboos. Many food taboos and other prohibitions forbid the meat of a particular animal, including
mammals, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, crustaceans and insects, which may
relate to a disgust response being more often associated with meats than plant-based foods. Some
prohibitions are specific to a particular part or excretion of an animal, while others forgo the
consumption of plants or fungi.
Some food prohibitions can be defined as rules, codified by religion or otherwise, about
which foods, or combinations of foods, may not be eaten and how animals are to be slaughtered
or prepared. The origins of these prohibitions are varied. In some cases, they are thought to be a
result of health considerations or other practical reasons; in others, they relate to human symbolic
systems.
Some foods may be prohibited during certain religious periods, at certain stages of life, or
to certain classes of people, even though the food is otherwise permitted. On a comparative basis,
what may be declared unfit for one group may be perfectly acceptable to another within the same
culture or across different cultures. Food taboos usually seem to be intended to protect the human
individual from harm, spiritually or physically, but there are numerous other reasons given
within cultures for their existence. An ecological or medical background is apparent in many,
including some that are seen as religious or spiritual in origin. Food taboos can help utilizing a
resource more efficiently, but when applied to only a subsection of the community, a food taboo
can also lead to the monopolization of a food item by those exempted. A food taboo
acknowledged by a particular group or tribe as part of their ways, aids in the cohesion of the
group, helps that particular group to stand out and maintain its identity in the face of others and
therefore creates a feeling of "belonging".