Why billions of people won't eat pork (or why we don't know)

Summary

The video explores the controversial status of pork, which is both the world's most popular and avoided meat. It delves into the religious taboos against pork in Islam and Hinduism and the historical debate on its origins. The script discusses ancient laws, the potential health risks, and the changing perceptions of pigs due to environmental factors. It also considers theories on why pigs became unclean in certain cultures, contrasting this with regions where pork is cherished, suggesting the taboo's role in cultural and religious identity.

Takeaways

• 🐷 Pork is the most popular meat globally, accounting for over a third of meat consumption.
• 🚫 About a third of the world's population avoids pork due to religious or cultural beliefs.
• 📜 The Torah's Leviticus and Deuteronomy are the first to codify the pork taboo in Abrahamic religious law.
• 🐾 Pigs have a cloven hoof but don't chew their cud, which ancient Jewish law deemed unclean.
• 🌿 Ruminants like cows, goats, and sheep both have cloven hooves and chew their cud, making them acceptable to eat.
• 🦠 The idea that pork is unclean due to health risks is not supported by historical evidence of trichinosis in the Middle East.
• 🔍 Anthropologists, archeologists, and theologians have debated the origins of the pork taboo without reaching a consensus.
• 🌳 Ancient Middle Eastern pigs were not as 'gross' as they are now, due to a more forested environment.
• 🏙️ Urbanization and deforestation may have contributed to the perception of pigs as unclean due to their need to wallow in filth.
• 🐔 Chickens may have replaced pigs in the Middle Eastern diet due to their efficiency in converting food scraps into protein.
• 🏛️ The pork taboo could have been a cultural mechanism to distinguish groups and assimilate northern Jews into southern culture.

Q & A

What is the significance of pork in global meat consumption?

Pork is considered by some to be the most popular meat in the world, accounting for more than a third of global meat consumption.

Why do some cultures avoid eating pork?

About a third of the world's population avoids eating pork, often due to religious reasons such as Islam and certain interpretations of Hinduism, which consider it unclean.

What is the historical origin of the pork taboo according to the script?

The script suggests that the historical origin of the pork taboo is unclear and there is no scholarly consensus on the matter.

Where is the pork taboo first codified in religious law?

The pork taboo is first codified in the Torah, specifically in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, which were written down in the first millennium B.C.E.

What is the reasoning behind the ancient Jewish law that pork is bad?

Ancient Jewish law states that pork is bad because pigs have a cloven hoof but do not chew their cud, unlike cows, goats, and sheep which are considered clean.

What is the theory that gained traction in the 19th century regarding pork consumption?

The theory that gained traction in the 19th century was that the prohibition against pork was an ancient health and safety code, linked to the parasitic disease trichinosis.

What does Marvin Harris argue about the trichinosis theory?

Marvin Harris argues that there is nothing exceptional about pork as a source of human disease and that all domestic animals are potentially hazardous to human health.

What does Maimonides suggest as the reason for the pork taboo?

Maimonides suggests that the reason for the pork taboo is that pigs' habits and foods are very dirty and loathsome.

What is the theory proposed by Marvin Harris regarding pigs and cleanliness?

Marvin Harris proposes that in the ancient Middle East, pigs were not as dirty when living in forests, but as deforestation and desertification occurred, pigs resorted to wallowing in mud and filth, leading to the perception of pork as unclean.

What is the argument made by Richard Redding in the 2015 paper regarding chickens and pork?

Richard Redding argues that chickens may have supplanted pork in the Middle Eastern diet because they are more efficient at converting food scraps into protein, produce eggs, and are smaller, which is advantageous in a hot climate where meat spoils quickly.

How did the pork taboo serve as a cultural identifier?

The pork taboo became a way for people to distinguish themselves from others, such as Israelites from the Romans and Muslims from the Crusaders.

What is the role of Squarespace in the video script?

Squarespace is the sponsor of the video, and the script promotes its website-building services, suggesting that it can be used by people of all religions and dietary codes to create a beautiful and functional website.