The Role of Food in Constructing Womanhood: A Study of Menstruation in Guwahati

Food has an association with biological processes from which it derives its many social meanings. In this article, I intend to explore the relationship of food with a specific biological process – menstruation - and highlight how it helps in constructing womanhood amongst Assamese women in Guwahati, India. The specific relationship between food and menstruation does not end with the rituals that mark the onset of a girl’s puberty. It continues throughout her life – every time she menstruates. This is what makes it as much a social process as it is biological. Both food and activities related to food are reminders of menstruation and one’s gendered identity. While there are restrictions on what menstruating women should eat and/or cook in many cases, they are advised to follow specific prescriptions in some other instances. Food becomes the link between biology and culture, creating gendered identities in the process.