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Bosnian Food
· Bosnian food is a mixture of
Eastern European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence.
· Lamb is the most popular meat,
as well as ground meatballs, boiled vegetables and rice pilaf.
Pita, flaky pastry stuffed with spinach, cheese or meat, is also
popular. Strong black coffee and rich desserts such as apple cake
and pastry with walnuts and honey are often served (Mohawk Valley
Resource Refugee Center).
Foods
That Are Prohibited
It is important to note that
Bosnians have many different views on what kinds of
foods should or should not be eaten, therefore, the following
information does not pertain to every individual.
· Pork and wild birds,
gelatinous foods made from animal hide trimmings
· Meat, which contains blood of
an animal, or has been slaughtered in an unknown way
· A patient should be given
other options for any medications containing alcohol or pork (Galanti
1997:139)
Dietary
Habits
Eating well is important to the
older generation (35 years and up) of Bosnian refugees living in
Utica. Mothers take pride in their cooking and want their
children to eat well-balanced meals. However, both parents
are often working, leaving the children to fend for themselves or
eat out of the home. The younger generation of Bosnian
refugees are heavily influenced by "pop culture" and the
media, similar to the inner-city poor of America. In terms
of dietary concerns, this means that they eat
"whatever." "Whatever" usually means
fast food, such as McDonald's or Burger King.
Many young Bosnian girls suffer
from eating disorders shortly after entering Germany or the
United States. Again, extremely influenced by the
"MTV" or "pop culture" that is capturing all
teens in America, the young Bosnian women attempt to look like the
women on the covers of magazines. As one case worker in
Utica put it, "They all want to look like teen singer,
Brittany Spears" (Leo, interview).
Health care providers should be
aware of religious holidays common among many Bosnians, which
affect their eating habits. During Ramadan, Bosnians
who are Muslim refrain from food, drink, tobacco and sex.
In the year 2000, Ramadan should begin on December 1st
approximately
and continue for a month.
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