The significance of Eating During Ramadan: Consumption and Exchange of Food in a Village in West Java

Author:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This article focuses on food and foodways in a village in West Java during Ramadan. Although Ramadan is a time dedicated to fasting, the consumption and distribution of food carry considerable significance during this month. One central theme of Ramadan is the control of desire, nafsu. I argue here that ideas about desires, as they are formulated through the prism of Islam, must be analyzed if we are to understand the eating practices of the month and how these relate to non-ritual contexts. In certain respects, especially concerning the meaning ascribed to eating, the month stands in sharp contrast to everyday practices. Eating, which is usually considered private, becomes a collective act during Ramadan. To understand this shift in meaning, it is necessary to differentiate between food offerings, exchange, and consumption. In so doing, the complex web of meaning that embeds ‘eating’ becomes clearer.