Food, Faith, and Identity

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This chapter explores the deep connections between food traditions and religious practices across various faiths, highlighting their roles in forming community and identity. It examines how dietary restrictions can be both a source of liberation and a mechanism of control within religious movements, particularly focusing on the Nation of Islam and the Hare Kṛṣhṇas. Additionally, the chapter discusses the intersection of food, politics, and cultural identity, illustrating how our dietary choices reflect societal beliefs and can serve as acts of rebellion or conformity.

Maybe it’s your grandmother’s cinnamon cookies, the garlicky tomato sauce your spouse cooked when you were first dating, or the chicken noodle soup you made every week when your kids were little. The sights, smells and tastes of certain foods can instantly remind us of a person or transport us back to a certain time in our lives. In this episode, we’ll meet kitchen ghosts from Kentucky, hear how religion and food are intertwined, and talk about how flavor evokes emotion – from grief to joy.

Original Air Date: May 25, 2024

Interviews In This Hour:
The comfort and community of ancestral food — Slow down and take a 'flavor trip' — The perfect french fries of Kewaunee, Wisconsin — The surprising intersections of food and faith

Guests:
Crystal Wilkinson, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Christina Ward, Joe Hardtke

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