Food choices and Social distinctions among University Students in Hyderabad

Based on empirical study, designed to capture the views of students in a leading Indian university on diverse types of dietary choices, this article specifically examines the extent of acceptability of beef and pork in hostel menus. The study found that while only widely accepted vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items like chicken and mutton featured in mess menus, the scale of social tolerance for beef and pork consumption among students is actually much larger, and much more widely spread than hegemonic mainstream claims have been ready to admit. Based on such findings, this sociological study raises wider implications regarding the politics of food choice in India today.