We have to eat to survive. Aside from being our most basic need, we already do this fondly.

​

Leaving aside seeing food as a social drive, existential necessity, or means of satisfying hedonistic feelings, we can also consider the work from cultural, historical and psychological perspectives.

​

For example, the Vedics, who are aware of the power coming from nutrition, say that they see the diversity and power of God in food. Food symbolizes belief, way of life or culture not only in Vedic society, but in almost every society that lived before Christ. Since eating is a basic necessity, it has always become a ritual in the society and food is symbolized carefully by taking its share.

Symbolized food plays different roles in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Over time, these roles begin to take on different meanings with cultural beliefs and religious practices. As a matter of fact, these rituals have become archetypes over time and are passed down from generation to generation. The taste of food and its presentation on the table often assume the necessary psychological roles. Foods; They become a symbol of a power superior to them, such as calling luck, attracting abundance, breaking prophecy or praising ancestors.

​

Not just food

​

According to Tao belief, boiled stuffed dough is one of the important representatives of wealth. Since its shape is similar to the Tael in China, it is associated with money and is therefore often consumed at midnight in the Chinese New Year. On the other hand, Minangkabau who have adopted the religion of Islam refer to more than one phenomenon with their meat and spicy dishes called 'rendang'. While he represents the pain, the tongue and the sharia within; The meat used represents the group leader. Also if coconut milk tutors and spice mix

​

It represents the Minangkabau high society. While this dish reveals the power of the society, it also strongly expresses the diversity. The most famous example we can give to this situation is of course the bread and wine pairing found in Christianity. It is not to ignore the existence of religious references as much as beliefs and desires in food and food.

​

Food materials and meals, which have a different role in each culture, represent a situation that is sometimes weak and sometimes strong. For example, while pomegranate represents holiness, fertility and abundance in many cultures, such as in Judaism, in some cultures it symbolizes 'doomsday' or 'eternal life'.

​

Let's come to the Ottoman Empire ...
In Ottoman culture, pomegranate fruit represents power, power and sultanate. In Anatolian traditions, the pomegranate popping in the house and the scattering of the grains indicate that the home will come to abundance. Some of these examples are the use of garlic to keep evil spirits away, the linking of the egg with fertility, the spilling of salt on the ground with bad luck.

​

We also wonder why the food has so much meaning.

​

Giving a meaning

​

There are beliefs and behaviors that human beings cannot put on a logical basis from past to present. These situations, on the other hand, are sometimes linked to words, beliefs or actions that have no result and whose reaction cannot be proven. The first social scientists interested in beliefs and behavior described such beliefs as a tendency to explain a naturally motivated event for reasons or causes that are supernatural, mysterious, and scientifically denied. Psychologist Alfred Lehmann interprets superstitions and symbols incompatible with a particular religion as an unfounded general assumption that contradicts the level of knowledge reached by society. The German historian Wuttke describes superstitions as 'attributing supernatural qualities to things and superhuman qualities to man'.

​

It is a familiar situation that human beings often exhibit irrational behavior. While evaluating the events, it makes erroneous logical inferences due to both prejudice and lack of information. This feature of human contributes to various beliefs and behaviors at the same time. Besides, human beings also interact with the stimulants around them. It establishes connections between events in this interaction process. Realize perception by establishing various connections between our cognitive processing, events or objects; but it is obvious that we sometimes create wrong connections in this process. These connections may gain different meanings by consolidating over time or turn into beliefs. For example; Anthropologists such as Malinowski and Lévi-Bruhl found that primitive peoples could not control events.

​

and when they cannot know the real reasons, they attribute mystery and power to inanimate objects in nature and resort to superstitions such as magic and magic. If we look at the examples we have given above, we can easily say that modern humans also maintain the same mental structure today. This may, of course, be the desire of people to wonder about the future or to understand the events that will occur in their own lives, to catch various symbolic signs about their own destinies, and ultimately to prepare themselves for positive or negative things. While Spinoza sometimes attributes this to fear, Stouffer also attributes this to despair.

If we look at the examples we have given above, we can easily say that modern humans also continue the same thoughts today. Behind this is the desire to wonder about people's future, to catch various symbolic signs about their own destiny and ultimately to prepare themselves for positive or negative things.

​

It remains for us to read our fate from the coffee grounds we drink.