DESIGN MEALS TO MEET CULTURAL

NEEDS

D1.HCA.CL3.03

Slide 1
Specific Cultural Groups

The types of customers catered for by the hospitality

industry are diverse.
Expectations customers have about foods, meals and
service styles can relate to their cultural groups.
Three factors that have a significant influence on food
choice are:
 Culture
 Religion
 Vegetarian

Slide 2
World Cuisines

What makes a cuisine?

Cuisines are as varied as there are countries and

communities within those countries. Influences include the
climate, geography and history of the area.

Cuisine variations can influence the:

 Foods that are preferred
 Types of meals that are prepared
 Style in which food is generally served

Slide 3
Religion
Food is an important part of religious observance for many
faiths.
The role that food plays in each religion is varied and may
include:
 Food restrictions or fasting
 Meal time restrictions
 Festivals and celebrations

Slide 4
Christianity
Introduction
 Christianity is the world's biggest religion, with about
2.1 billion followers worldwide.
 It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
 Those who follow Christianity are called Christians.
Religion Special days
Major religions that  Easter
may impact on food
choices include:  Good Friday

 Christianity  Lent
 Islam  Christmas
 Hinduism  Other religious
 Buddhism days
Slide 5
Islam
Introduction
 Islam is a faith regarded as revealed through the
Prophet of Allah, Muhammad.
 Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.
 Muslims believe that there is only one God and the
Arabic word for God is Allah.
Halal
 Muslims are allowed to eat what is "good".
 That is, what is pure, clean, wholesome,
nourishing, and pleasing to the taste.
 In general, everything is allowed (halal) except
what has been specifically forbidden.
Slide 6
Islam
Forbidden foods and drinks
 Dead meat (i.e. carcass of an already-dead animal)
 Blood
 Flesh of swine (pork)
 Intoxicating drinks
 Meat of an animal that has been sacrificed to idols
 Meat of an animal that died from strangulation or blunt
force
 Meat from which wild animals have already eaten

Slide 7
Islam
Eating habits
Following is a summary list of eating habits Muslim eating
habits.
 Supplication
 No criticism on food
 Eating Less
 Eating together
 Sharing
 Moderation
 Eating slowly

Slide 8
Hinduism
Introduction
 Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in
India and Nepal.
 It also exists among significant populations outside of
the sub-continent and has over 900 million adherents
worldwide.
 Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture,
and no commonly agreed set of teachings.
 Followers of Hinduism are called Hindus.

Slide 9
Hinduism
Hindu Foods and Restrictions
 Cow is considered as Goddess according to religious
belief of Hinduism so eating beef is strictly forbidden by
Hindus.
 They use to eat dairy products like milk, yoghurt, butter
etc and believe that these things enhance the spiritual
purity.
 Pork is also a forbidden food item

Slide 10
Hinduism
Hindu Foods and Restrictions
 All type of food obtained from animal is forbidden to eat
by several sects of Hinduism.
 Some foods are also restricted to eat for geographical
locations.
 Some of pious Hindus avoid eating even stimulating
food like onion, garlic and other red colored food like
red lentils and tomatoes.
 Vegetarians are advocated by Hindus to
avoid violence and pain.

Slide 11
Buddhism
Introduction
 Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal
spiritual development.
 Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature
of life and do not worship gods or deities.
 A follower of Buddhism is referred to as a Buddhist.

Slide 12
Buddhism
Vegetarian choices
 Designing meals for customers who follow Buddhism
will often involve including vegetarian choices.
 As many followers of Buddhism are from South-East
Asia choosing dishes from this region may be helpful

Slide 13
Buddhism
Restrictions
 Most of the dishes considered to be uniquely Buddhist
are vegetarian, but opinions and restrictions on the
eating of meat, and whether it should be prohibited,
vary among sects.
 Diet includes an avoidance of killing plant life.
 Therefore, strictly speaking, root vegetables (such as
potatoes, carrots or onion and garlic) are not to be
used as this results in the death of the plant.
 Alcohol is avoided in all forms.

Slide 14
Buddhism
Accepted foods
 Rice, rice porridge or congee
 Noodles and other grains
 Vegetables of all sorts are generally either stir-fried or
cooked in broth with seasonings and may be eaten
with various sauces.
 Eggs and dairy
 Seasoning, often in the form of curries
 Sweets and desserts are not often consumed

Slide 15
Judaism
Introduction
 Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic (one
god) religions and was founded over 3500 years
ago in the Middle East.
 Followers of Judaism are called Jews.
 Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be
his chosen people in order to set an example of
holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.

Slide 16
Judaism
Kashrut / kosher
 Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what
foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods
must be prepared and eaten.
 "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-
Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct.
 It is the same root as the more commonly known word
"kosher," which describes food that meets these
standards.
 The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used,
to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance
with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.

Slide 17
Judaism
Restrictions
 Animals that have cloven hooves and chew their own
cud are considered kosher
 Ox, beef, sheep, goat, deer

 Pigs, hare and camels are not permitted

Slide 18
Judaism
Restrictions
 Kosher law allows poultry and fish (with fins and
scales) to be eaten, but shellfish are not allowed
 The birds and mammals must be killed in accordance
with Jewish law
 The sciatic nerve and its adjoining blood vessels may
not be eaten

Slide 19
Judaism
Restrictions
 All blood must be drained from meat and poultry or
removed by boiling, salting or soaking before it can be
eaten
 Fruits and vegetables are permitted, but must be
inspected for bugs (which cannot be eaten)
 Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot
be eaten with dairy

Slide 20
Judaism
Restrictions
 Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten
with either meat or dairy
 According to some views, fish may not be eaten with
meat
 Utensils (including pots and pans and other cooking
surfaces) that have come into contact with meat may
not be used with dairy, and vice versa

Slide 21
Judaism
Restrictions
 Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher
food may not be used with kosher food
 Grape products such as wine made by non-Jews may
not be eaten.

Slide 22
Vegetarian Diets
The term 'vegetarian' is not clear-cut and includes a wide range
of attitudes and eating behaviours
The foods vegetarians eat is often dependant on the reasons or
beliefs for following the diet.
Common reasons for following a vegetarian diet for the include:
 Religious beliefs
 Cultural beliefs
 Health related
 Cruelty to animals
 Economics
 Political
 Environmental
 Aesthetic
Slide 23
Vegan

A vegan eats:
 Plant foods

A vegan excludes:
 Dairy foods
 Eggs
 Meat and products from all animals
 This includes fish, poultry, insects and game etc.
 It also includes honey

Slide 24
Meal design for specific cultural
needs
The aim is to try and design meals which combine culinary
and nutritional balance.
 Culinary balance
 Ingredients, cooking methods', textures,
colors and presentation
 Nutritional balance
 Plenty of whole grain foods and vegetables
 Moderate amounts of lean meats, reduced fat dairy and
fruit
 Limited added fats, sugars, salt and alcohol

Slide 25
Designing meals for specific
Cuisines
Each cuisine has its own characteristics. These are often
based around:
 Key Ingredients
 Common cooking methods

Being able to identify these will assist you in choosing

appropriate meals

Slide 26
Designing Vegetarian Meals
You will need to know what type of vegetarian you are
catering for:
 Lacto-ovo, Lacto or Vegan

An important consideration will be to ensure that you include

suitable protein in the meals.
 Dairy
 Eggs
 Tofu
 Grains, nuts, seeds and legumes

Slide 27
Designing Vegetarian meals
(continued)
When designing meals for vegetarians consider using:
 Vegetable stock
 Fresh vegetable base sauces
 Dairy replacements
 A variety of legumes
 A selection of herbs and spices
 Sorbet and granita

Slide 28
Modifying recipes for specific
cultural needs
Customers with specific cultural needs will often require some
changes to be made to the recipes and meals that are
prepared for them.
Modifying recipes for customers with specific cultural needs
requires knowledge of the:
 Ingredients
 Food preparation techniques
 Methods of Cookery
Apply the same process as was discussed in the section on
modifying meals for special dietary requirements

Slide 29
Modifying recipes for vegetarian
meals
The first step in modifying a recipe for a vegetarian diet is to
replace any unsuitable animal products, including:
 Meat
 Dairy
 Eggs
Vegetable protein options:
 Soy
 Grains
 Nuts and Seeds
 Legumes

Slide 30
Ingredients for specific dietary
needs
It is not feasible to stock all the commodities available on the
market. Select essential ingredients that will allow you to
make dishes for a range of customers. For example:
 Vegan chickpea and cauliflower curry served
with Naan (flat bread) and mint relish
This dish could be suitable for customers who are:
 Vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, lacto vegetarian
 Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish or Muslim
 Lactose Intolerance or have Cardiovascular Disease

Slide 31
Ingredients for specific dietary
needs
Common diets which may require specialized ingredients
include:
 Meat Free
 Dairy Free
 Egg Free
 Halal
 Kosher
 Specific Cuisines
Specialist ingredients such as Kosher and Halal can be
expensive, consider the most cost effective strategies for
meals for Jewish and Muslim customers.

Slide 32
Meat Free

The sections on vegetarian diets have information on meat-

free ingredients.
Animal fats are often in products as a cooking medium or to
provide moisture. Check for ingredients such as:
 Lard (Rendered pork fat)
 Dripping (Beef fat)
 Pork fat
 Suet
Some customers may want white meats or fish rather than
avoiding all meats.

Slide 33
Egg Free
Eggs are very versatile ingredients and one of the most
widely used ingredients in cookery.
Eggs are used for their varied properties including:
 Binding, glazing, clarifying, aerating, enriching, thickening,
colouring, emulsifying and coagulating
An egg free diet will require alternatives for both the
ingredient and its properties, options include:
 Extra beating
 Gelatine
 Baking powder
 Arrowroot
 Xantham gum
Slide 34
World Ingredients
Some cuisines have very unusual ingredients and you
may need specialist suppliers to help you locate them.

You also need to consider the subtle differences in

common ingredients that can be so important to a cuisine.

Some examples of often-used ingredients that come in a

multitude of varieties include:
 Sugar
 Vinegar
 Rice

Slide 35
Identify and select suppliers
 When selecting suppliers for specific cultural
commodities your research may include:
 Networking with local colleagues

 Religious organisations

 Vegetarian organisations

 Suppliers specialising in specific cuisines

Slide 36
Cultural Varieties

A similar dish may have cultural variations.

Selecting the most suitable ingredients will require

knowledge of these differences.

What flavourings would be used these rice dishes:

 Chinese Fried Rice
 Indonesia Nasi Goreng
 Spanish Paella
 Italian Risotto

Slide 37
Dietary Implications

There are potential implications of not preparing and

serving meals in a suitable manner for your customer's
specific dietary or cultural requirements.

These implications can be considered from the

perspective of:
 Nutrition
 Health
 Customer satisfaction

Slide 38
Health Implications

Serve meals that are true to any assurances you offer

customers.
This is especially in relation to food allergens which can be
potentially life threatening.
Key considerations:
 Read labels carefully
 Practise hygiene procedures that minimise cross-
contamination
It is usually not possible to guarantee that your food
production premises is free of particles of food from nuts,
dairy and eggs, all foods which can cause anaphylaxis

Slide 39