Indigenous and Traditional Food Systems of Lak People: An Ethnographic Research in Rural and Nomadic Districts of Lorestan, Iran

Food and nutrition system of each ethnic group includes important cultural component and their ways of interaction with environment. Food is not merely a biological and metabolistic entity، but it relates to various aspects of human life including the culture. Color، taste، preparation methods، consumption and utilization tools، distribution way of food at different levels and aspects including social، customs، rituals of birthday، preparation، distribution، and gendered considerations in relation to food consumption and nutrition all show complexity of food systems in human societies and how food is by nature contextualized in the culture. In this view، the main objective of this study was to examine indigenous food and nutrition of Lak ethnic group living in rural and nomadic districts of Lorestan province. In particular، this study seeks to describe richly the socio-cultural aspects of indigenous food and nutrition system of Lak ethnic group with a focus on their social relationships in the community، gender-based division of labor in food system or foodways، food habits and cultural symbolism of food in the local culture of the community and how the environmental factors influence the food system and foodways of this ethnic group. To obtain the objective of the research، quantitative research methods including ethnographic methods (such as the ethnographic interviews، participant observation، and documentary studies) were used in this study. Throughout ethnographic research، the scholars took an open and amenable approach to emerging new questions to develop a deeper understanding and thick description of the subject through taking a iterative procedures in collecting or making and analyzing the data and field-notes. The results of this study indicate that there is a considerable diversity in producing، disseminating and consuming and intaking foods among Lak people living in rural and nomadic districts of Lorestan including in nutritional sources، nutritional rituals and mores، method of hunting and food gathering، food choices، way of purchasing food from the market and food intake. Foodways and food system of Lak people are intensely configured in their socio-cultural and environmental context، interlocking to their identity image، social relationships، kinship and family roots، gender relations، and their environmental lifestyles in the community and ecological characteristics of Lorestan.