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Food Culture among Thai-Muslim at Bang-Luang, Thonburi, Bangkok
Maturaporn Parkprot
ABSTRACT
Objective of Food Culture among Thai-Muslim at Bang-Luang, Thonburi, Bangkok is to study food in
daily life, food during special events, and food in ceremony of Thai-Muslim at Bang-Luang. Collect data from key
informants, chefs, pregnant and lactating women, adults and elderly by in-depth interview questionnaire and
participation and non-participation observation. Typological analysis and constant comparison were used to compare
food culture at Bang-Luang with Muslim regulation and food culture at others Thai-Muslim communities.
The result of the study showed that food consumption of Thai-Muslim at Bang-Luang depends on religion
regulation. Food in daily life of Thai-Muslim at Bang-Luang mostly is Thai food. Since Muslim food has many
ingredients, difficult processing, hot and spicy taste, it is not proper for eating every day. Food during special events
depend on culture and believes. For instance, exchange food during fast to identify sharing and perfect cooking,
lactating women eat Kang Lieng to have more breasts feeding for infants and do not drink cold water and ice within
40 days because they believe that cold water and ice made blood curdles. Food in ceremony of Thai-Muslim at
Bang-Luang mostly is Muslim food. They show perfection cooking during cultural and religious ceremony.
In addition, food have been alter through time. Having been inter-acted with near by community such as
Buddhism and Christian has brought new kind of food into the Thai-Muslim community. Accepting food from
outside the community is part of the “new way of life” which gives diversity to the kind of food available in the
Thai-Muslim community thus causing some of the Muslim cuisine and Muslim chefs to fade out. Due to the new
way of life in the Muslim community, there were less home cooking so the cooking of Muslim food were not pass
on to the next generation.
It is recommended that further study should be study of food in daily life, food during special events, and
food during cultural and religious ceremony in other Thai-Muslim community. Better yet a more in-depth study at
Bang-Luang community itself, as to the roots of each dishes, food that are available now, food that were available in
the past and is no longer seen in the community or that are only cook for cultural and religious ceremony. Encourage
the new generation to learn how to cook especially dishes that are unique to their community as well as try to
redirect attitudes of cooks in the community to see how important it is to have their younger generation inherit the
cooking skills.
Keywords: Food, Culture, Thai-Muslim