The Food Culture of the Siberian Peoples: a Reference Model

According to the Siberian shamanic world view, food and drink, just as every natural being, possess an animated “force” or energy, which arouses special respect. This vision of the world is that of a unique collective energy, which induces man to live in a perspective of sustainable nutrition. In industrialized societies, man underestimates both the importance of nature’s energy and his own. He needs to strengthen consciously and pleasantly his own energies through healthy nutrition, respecting the resources of nature. Shamanic food culture can be a valid reference model for the defence of the taste/flavour of traditional food products from globalized trade. In addition, as shamanism teaches, knowledge of food and beverages, means knowing their origins. For the food business, it would be necessary to indicate on the packaging of typical products also the name of the company which has subjected them to specific treatments, and the origin of their constituent elements. In this way, the spread of traditional foods would assume the character of a comprehensive cultural operation, stimulating curiosity towards producing countries, their uses and customs. The enhancement of traditional cuisine would become a solid source of development for today’s food trade. In industrialized societies man feels the need for a return to the traditional food culture of his homeland, and, possibly, also that of other peoples. The biodiversity which determines various types of nutrition is a rich source of development for the energetic potential of man, which globalized trade can easily help to know and appreciate.