Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Determining What Our Ancestors Ate
- Part II Staple Foods: Domesticated Plants and Animals
- II.A Grains
- II.B Roots, Tubers, and Other Starchy Staples
- II.C Important Vegetable Supplements
- II.D Staple Nuts
- II.E Animal, Marine, and Vegetable Oils
- II.F Trading in Tastes
- II.G Important Foods from Animal Sources
- II.G.1 American Bison
- II.G.2 Aquatic Animals
- II.G.3 Camels
- II.G.4 Caribou and Reindeer
- II.G.5 Cattle
- II.G.6 Chickens
- II.G.7 Chicken Eggs
- II.G.8 Dogs
- II.G.9 Ducks
- II.G.10 Game
- II.G.11 Geese
- II.G.12 Goats
- II.G.13 Hogs (Pigs)
- II.G.14 Horses
- II.G.15 Insects
- II.G.16 Llamas and Alpacas
- II.G.17 Muscovy Ducks
- II.G.18 Pigeons
- II.G.19 Rabbits
- II.G.20 Sea Turtles and Their Eggs
- II.G.21 Sheep
- II.G.22 Turkeys
- II.G.23 Water Buffalo
- II.G.24 Yak
- Part III Dietary Liquids
- Part IV The Nutrients – Deficiencies, Surfeits, and Food-Related Disorders
- References
II.G.23 - Water Buffalo
from II.G - Important Foods from Animal Sources
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Determining What Our Ancestors Ate
- Part II Staple Foods: Domesticated Plants and Animals
- II.A Grains
- II.B Roots, Tubers, and Other Starchy Staples
- II.C Important Vegetable Supplements
- II.D Staple Nuts
- II.E Animal, Marine, and Vegetable Oils
- II.F Trading in Tastes
- II.G Important Foods from Animal Sources
- II.G.1 American Bison
- II.G.2 Aquatic Animals
- II.G.3 Camels
- II.G.4 Caribou and Reindeer
- II.G.5 Cattle
- II.G.6 Chickens
- II.G.7 Chicken Eggs
- II.G.8 Dogs
- II.G.9 Ducks
- II.G.10 Game
- II.G.11 Geese
- II.G.12 Goats
- II.G.13 Hogs (Pigs)
- II.G.14 Horses
- II.G.15 Insects
- II.G.16 Llamas and Alpacas
- II.G.17 Muscovy Ducks
- II.G.18 Pigeons
- II.G.19 Rabbits
- II.G.20 Sea Turtles and Their Eggs
- II.G.21 Sheep
- II.G.22 Turkeys
- II.G.23 Water Buffalo
- II.G.24 Yak
- Part III Dietary Liquids
- Part IV The Nutrients – Deficiencies, Surfeits, and Food-Related Disorders
- References
Summary
When the first created man saw the animals that God had made, it is said that he presumptuously, over-rating his powers, asked that he too might be given the creative power to fashion others like them. God granted his request and man tried his prentice hand. But the result was the buffalo, and man seeing that it was not good, asked in disgust that the creative power might be taken back again from him for ever. The buffalo, however, remained as the only living handiwork of man.
(Bradley-Birt 1910: 115)Although of limited value as a clue to the origins of the domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), this tale from India does reflect the rather low opinion of this bovine held by many, including, it seems, scientists who have shown relatively little interest in it. Considering the large size of its population, its widespread distribution, and its essential role in the economic lives of millions of people, especially in southern and eastern Asia, it is remarkable that so little is known about the water buffalo. Bovine admiration and scholarly attention have been reserved for those more highly regarded distant relatives of the buffalo, the taurine and zebu cattle.
Admittedly, some admirable efforts have been made within the last few decades to remedy this situation. Most of the work that has been done has focused on the present-day conditions and future potential of buffalo husbandry, with breeding, management, and productivity being of central concern. Research on the cultural and historical aspects of the buffalo, however, has been very limited. Certainly, in the discussion of animal domestication, the buffalo has been largely ignored.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge World History of Food , pp. 583 - 607Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2000
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