Non‐nutritional uses of food in traditional Appalachian culture

Food has both nutritional and non‐nutritional functions and this paper reports some non‐nutritional uses of food in traditional Appalachian culture. The emphasis is upon occult and non‐occult uses of food in folk medicine. Specific examples of rituals are presented as collected in Appalachia. It is suggested that these traditions have been maintained due to the strength of the reference groups.

Key words:

• Food use
• food magic
• symbolic meanings of food
• medicinal uses of food
• Appalachian food habits
• food rituals

Notes

Department of Sociology, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas.

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas.