Dairy products, steaks and red wine are brought to the table for Christians. Pigs and cows are just as welcome as part of a diet but not for Muslims (if an appropriate prayer is not offered in the course of slaughter) or Hindus. In the UK we refrain from eating horse-meat, though not all are agreed about this. Eating horse-meat has been frowned upon since the eighth century. Our pets have different rules; they eat whale and kangaroo meat. Hounds are allowed to have their way with foxes when they catch them. At least, this is the regimen as I understand it but in a society where if you blink you miss it, recent changes may have altered convention or inherited practices. The manner of slaughtering animals for the table remains contentious.
What we eat is part of who we are. Shakespeare portrays the English in Henry the Fifth’s day as great meat-eaters. Strength and size are part of being English, especially part of being an English soldier. This results in big, strong omnivorous Englishmen clashing with Frenchmen of refined sensibilities. Things have changed since Agincourt. We know that young men have characteristics in common whatever their nationality. So do the old men who deploy younger men in hostilities.
There is not much butter in the Bible but probably more on the lips of villagers who knew very well that if you churn milk you get butter. (2 Samuel 17.29). In a land flowing with milk and honey it would be hard to avoid buttering your bread. We are talking of course of days before tea and coffee introduced new flavours into societies accustomed to beer and wine.
Dietary laws caused dissension among early Christians (Acts 15.29). Twenty centuries later it is difficult to envisage that such prohibitions could have heavy consequences. But choice in those days was limited. Nowadays we move easily from one national dish to another, with sugar and salt being chief mischief-makers.
This understanding makes some major religious faiths strict in the catering sector. But diet is not the only issue. In its attitude to women Christianity is liberal (or has been in the UK since 1930).
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