How to Say What Foods Are Culturally Forbidden in Latin American Spanish
Learn to describe cultural food taboos in Latin American Spanish using verbs like evitar, no se acostumbra and dar asco, with polite and regional alternatives.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn to explain which foods are culturally frowned upon or avoided in your community, without framing them as religious prohibitions. You will use verbs such as evitar (to avoid), expressions like no se acostumbra (it is not customary), and dar asco (to gross someone out). You will also learn to soften these statements so they sound descriptive rather than judgmental, and to ask others about their own cultural food taboos. All examples use broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where usage changes.
By the end, you can…
- name foods that are culturally avoided in my community and explain why.
- ask someone politely whether a food is customary in their culture.
- distinguish cultural food taboos from religious dietary rules in Spanish.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
En mi cultura no se acostumbra comer eso.
In my culture, it is not customary to eat that.
en mee kool-TOO-rah noh seh ah-kos-TOOM-brah koh-MEHR EH-soh
Neutral, descriptive way to state a cultural food taboo without sounding judgmental. Works throughout Latin America.
Eso me da asco.
That grosses me out.
EH-soh meh dah AHS-koh
Strong personal reaction. Use with friends or family; it can sound rude in formal or unfamiliar company.
No lo como por costumbre, no por religión.
I don't eat it out of custom, not for religious reasons.
noh loh KOH-moh pohr kos-TOOM-breh noh pohr reh-lee-HYOHN
Useful when someone assumes your food avoidance is religious. Clarifies that the reason is cultural.
¿Eso se come en tu país?
Is that eaten in your country?
EH-soh seh KOH-meh en too pah-EES
Polite, open question to compare food customs. The impersonal se come keeps it neutral.
Aquí casi nadie come eso.
Here, almost nobody eats that.
ah-KEE KAH-see NAH-dyeh KOH-meh EH-soh
Describes a social norm rather than a personal dislike. Casi nadie is common in everyday speech across Latin America.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use no se acostumbra + infinitive to describe a cultural norm without saying the food is bad: Aquí no se acostumbra comer insectos (Here it is not customary to eat insects). For a personal habit, switch to no suelo + infinitive: No suelo comer hígado (I don't usually eat liver). To explain the reason, add porque + a cultural explanation: No se acostumbra porque se considera comida de pobre (It is not customary because it is considered poor people's food). These frames keep your statement descriptive, not moralizing.
When to use it
Use no se acostumbra in neutral or formal conversations, and me da asco only with people you know well. If someone offers you a food you avoid, a polite refusal is No, gracias, no lo como por costumbre (No thanks, I don't eat it out of custom). To ask about another culture without sounding critical, say ¿Eso se come en tu país? or ¿Es común comer eso allá? (Is eating that common there?). Avoid saying es asqueroso (it's disgusting) about someone else's food; it sounds insulting.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Es cierto que en tu país no se come carne de caballo?
Is it true that in your country horse meat isn't eaten?es SYEHR-toh keh en too pah-EES noh seh KOH-meh KAR-neh deh kah-BAH-yohSí, aquí casi nadie la come. Se ve como animal de compañía, no como comida.
Yes, here almost nobody eats it. It's seen as a pet, not as food.see ah-KEE KAH-see NAH-dyeh lah KOH-meh seh veh KOH-moh ah-nee-MAHL deh kom-pah-NYEE-ah noh KOH-moh koh-MEE-dahEntiendo. ¿Y hay alguna comida que ustedes eviten por costumbre?
I understand. And is there any food you avoid out of custom?en-TYEN-doh ee ah-ee ahl-GOO-nah koh-MEE-dah keh oos-TEH-dehs eh-VEE-ten pohr kos-TOOM-brehSí, muchas personas evitan el hígado, pero no es por religión, es por costumbre.
Yes, many people avoid liver, but it's not for religious reasons, it's out of custom.see MOO-chas per-SOH-nas eh-VEE-tan el EE-gah-doh PEH-roh noh es pohr reh-lee-HYOHN es pohr kos-TOOM-brehA little context goes a long way
Food taboos vary widely within Latin America and are often regional rather than national. In some areas, eating guinea pig (cuy) is traditional and celebrated; in others it is unthinkable. Avoid presenting one country's custom as universal, and use suave hedges like en general, aquí or en mi familia to keep your statements accurate and respectful.
One thing to watch for
Using es prohibido (it is prohibited) for cultural food taboos, as if a law or religion banned the food.
Try this instead: Reserve es prohibido for real rules: Está prohibido comer en el metro (Eating is prohibited on the subway). For cultural avoidance, say no se acostumbra or se evita: Aquí no se acostumbra comer eso (Here it is not customary to eat that).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you politely explain that in your town people don't usually eat a certain food, without saying it is prohibited?
Show a sample answer
Aquí no se acostumbra comer eso.
This uses the impersonal no se acostumbra, which describes a social norm rather than a rule. Alternatives like Casi nadie come eso aquí are also correct and slightly more informal.
2A friend offers you a dish you avoid for cultural reasons. What is a polite refusal?
Show a sample answer
No, gracias, no lo como por costumbre.
This refuses clearly while naming the cultural reason. No, gracias, no me gusta is also valid if the reason is taste rather than custom.
3How do you ask whether a food is commonly eaten in someone else's country without sounding critical?
Show a sample answer
¿Eso se come en tu país?
The impersonal se come keeps the question neutral. ¿Es común comer eso allá? is an equally polite alternative.
Use no se acostumbra and se evita to describe cultural food taboos, save es prohibido for real rules, and add por costumbre, no por religión when you need to separate custom from religion.
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