I've recently been learning about special dietary restrictions that affect some people. For example, my dad has developed somewhat of a lactose intolerance. Here is an article from Medical News Today that I think might be helpful/insightful.

In theory, any food can cause a food allergy. But in fact just a handful of foods are to blame for 90% of allergic reactions to food. These common foods are known as the 'big eight'. They are:

-- milk
-- eggs
-- peanuts (groundnuts)
-- nuts from trees (including Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts)
-- fish
-- shellfish (including mussels, crab and shrimps)
-- soya
-- wheat

In children, most allergic reactions to food are to milk, peanuts, nuts from trees, eggs, soya and wheat. Most children grow out of most allergic reactions to food in early childhood. In adults, most allergic reactions are to peanuts, nuts, fish, shellfish, citrus fruit and wheat.

This section mainly describes foods that can cause food allergy, but it also includes lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance/sensitivity (coeliac disease). These are types of food intolerance, but they aren't allergies. Remember, if you think you have a food intolerance, you should contact your GP.

West Virginia has some great products (especially food!) produced right here in the state. Here's a compilation from WV Agriculture.

AQUACULTURE

Trout Lodge and Anglers Resort
Fresh Rainbow Trout
Scott Ryan
Rt. 2, Box 35
Lindside, WV 24951
Phone: 304-753-9218

Union Fish Market
Seafood Products
David Cunningham/Joe Coleman
2226 Market Street
Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone: 304-233-0475

West Virginia Aquaponics
Tilapia
Donnie R. Tenney
P.O. Box 125
Tallmansville, WV 26237
Phone: 304-472-4693
Fax: 304-472-4301
E-Mail: treeor@msys.net

Zetts Tri-State Fish Farm & Hatchery
Rainbow Trout
Andrew Zetts
Rt. 2, Box 218K
(878 Hatchery Road)
Inwood, WV 25428
Phone: 304-229-3654

After class one Wednesday, me fellow graduate students and I decided it was time to check out the Irish pub, McClafferty's. If you've seen me, it's clear I'm Irish. I even have an Irish tattoo. So, I was extremely excited to finally have a beer here. Located right along Beechurst, it's within easy walking distance from the campus. We walked up the ramp on the side and through the doors.

At this time, the smoking ban wasn't in effect, though many bars had already implemented it. McClafferty's was as smokey as they come - a smell of disappointment. That's okay; it wasn't enough to completely turn me off. As soon as we stepped inside, we were met with lots of unfriendly looks. Did we break some sort of unwritten rule? Or were we too young to frequent this pub? A handful of people were seated around the bar - all of whom were probably in their mid-thirties. I was happy with that. I like that crowd, but they didn't seem to like us as much.


We searched for a table that could hold six. We found one near the stage and got situated. Since no one had been here before, we looked at each other awkwardly for a minute before the bartender came over. He checked our IDs. We asked if we ordered up at the bar and whether or not they had food, considering we had all just been in a three-hour class and were hungry. He looked annoyed at our question, and said something to the effect of "I'm not going to be waiting on you. You go to the bar." Surly service, and not in the fun way.

Once we made our way to the bar, we grabbed the menus and gave a quick look. Bar food, but it looked appealing at the time. I put in an order of mozzarella sticks, and a beer, of course. I continued back to my seat and took in the atmosphere. A stage area was set up behind us, where a band began to play. It was nice, alternative kind of music. A few gambling machines were set up nearby. In the back were some booths. It wasn't overly busy, and I liked it for that.

When our food came out, I was very surprised to see my mozzarella sticks covered with french fries. I didn't order the fries, and I didn't know they came with them, but I wasn't unhappy. In fact, these were some of the best fries I've had. They were crispy and crunchy and not too thin and not too thick. I was very pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure if it was the batter they were fried in, but the texture was phenomenal, and it wasn't dripping in grease.They even provided some cups of ketchup and cocktail/marinara sauce for my convenience.

The mozzarella sticks were good, too. Hot stringy cheese in a breaded coating - does it get much better? They weren't freezer-burnt like some bars tend to serve. And the cocktail/marinara sauce - I say this because it was like a mixture of the two - was a nice touch. I was happy with my decision. If the attitudes and (un)friendly welcome aren't enough to scare you off, the food is a nice surprise.

Grade: B

Here is a list compiled by WV Commerce about some local growers. West Virginia offers a variety of produce, sauces, wines, soaps, etc. To learn more, visit www.wvagriculture.org.

Absher Tree Farm

Directions: Near Ansted On U.s. Route 60; ½ Mile West Of Hawks Nest State Park. Hours: Daily November 25 - December 23; Daylight Hours....
City: Ansted

Bluestone Nursery

Directions: Leave I-77 At Exit 20; Turn South (right) On U.s. 19 And Go 2 Miles; Turn Right On Stovall Ridge Road And Go 3.2 Miles To Farm;...
City: Camp Creek

Bug Ridge Tree Farm

Directions: From Sutton–old Route 19; South 4 Miles Left On Centralia Road; Go 1 Mile; Right On Bug Ridge; 2/10 Mile; Driveway On Left....
City: Sutton

Mountain Craft Shop Co.

Our shop that features honeys, creamed honeys, honey mustards, West's Best Hot Pepper Butter, beeswax candles, ornaments, cosmetics, a live...
City: Proctor

Plateau Tree Farm & Nursery

Directions: I-77 Exit 14 Toward Athens (4 Miles North Of Princeton) Go 1 Mile; Farm On Left On Mercer Springs Road. Hours: Monday-Saturday,...
City: Princeton

ThistleDew Farm Inc.

ThistleDew Farm is noted for our unique shop featuring a live honey bee observation hive, honey products, WV gourmet foods, (including Blue...
City: Proctor

Chestnut Springs Farm

City: Bluefield

Hillbilly Daylilies

Specializing in field grown daylilies. You pick 'em...we dig 'em.
City: Bunker Hill

Jefferson Orchards, Inc.

July- December. Peaches, apples, etc.
City: Kearneysville

Kenco Farms

Blackberry, Raspberry, And Peach Melomel, Mead & Blue Mead, Cyster. Kenco Farms Best Selling And Most Unique Product Is Mead, Commonly...
City: Sutton

KITCHEN'S ORCHARD

OPEN : APPLES AND PEACHES AVAILABLE WHEN IN SEASON
City: Bartow

La Paix Herb Farm

La Paix is an organic herb and produce farm near Weston. Many gardens feature lavender plants, medicinal and culinary herbs and organically...
City: Alum Bridge

Lewis Brothers Orchard

Season of operation: July 15 - Jan 31. products: peaches, apples.
City: Martinsburg

Owl Creek Farm

Pick your own strawberries in June. Call for appointments and information.
City: Morgantown

Ridgefield Farm & Orchard

Ridgefield Farm and Orchard offers apples, pumpkin patch, hayrides and Christmas trees. Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge near historic...
City: Harpers Ferry

White Oak Farm

Our main crop is pick-your-own blueberries. Our blueberries are in mulched beds with mowed aisles in between. Our fields are netted to keep...
City: Renick

York Hill Orchard & Farm

City: Shenandoah Junction

Apple Grove Fish Hatchery

Tours: Weekdays From 7:30am Until 4:00pm Warm water Hatchery with visible fish at times. Fished reared include: large mouth bass, small...
City: Gallipolis Ferry

Mountain Diamond Longhorns

David and Barbara Miller emulate the modern model of rural part-time Agriculture. They raise photogenic Longhorn Cattle. Erosion is...
City: Tunnelton

Cinderella Pumpkin Farm

Cinderella Pumpkin Farm is a fabulous fun, family experience. We have hayrides, corn maze, a Castle Moon Bounce, cornboxes (corn instead of...
City: Ballard

Cooper Farms, LLC

Corn maze, hayrides and cow train. Hours are Friday 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday noon to 10pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm or weekday by appointment....
City: Milton

Putnam Farmers' Market

Open mid-May through the end of October. : The Putnam Farmers' Market was established in 2009 to encourage local farmers to produce...
City: Hurricane

Elkins Farmers Market

Founded in 1975 with a diverse collection of vendors whose mission is to provide local farm and kitchen products. Elkins Town Square May...
City: Elkins

French Creek Christmas Trees & Pumpkin Patch

City: French Creek

Morgan Orchard

City: Sinks Grove

Bear Garden Farm

Breeders of Phenomenal alpacas and Friesian sport horses.
City: Capon Bridge

Rancho Chico Alpacas LLC

Visit our farm. Buy an Alpaca.
City: Triadelphia

Ridgefield Farm and Orchard

Ridgefield Farm and Orchard offers apples, pumpkin patch, hayrides and Christmas trees. Directions: Take Route 230 to Kidwiler Road. Open:...
City: Harpers Ferry

My passions, beyond food culture, are writing, feminism, and theology. So combining food culture with theology interests me. Recently, my parents, midlife, became quite religious, which sparked my interest in theology even more. In fact, their diet changed, too. They're part of COGWA, which I don't honestly know a lot about, but I do know that they no longer eat any sort of pork and no seafood (unless it is fish with scales).

Morgantown isn't exactly the epitome of diversity, so we don't have a lot of places devoted to these specific dietary restrictions. But I wanted to learn more about them, so here's a breakdown of what I've found (info comes from here and here and here):

Hinduism
Most Hindus follow a vegetarian diet. The eating of meat is not prohibited, but pork, fowl, ducks, snails, crabs, and camels are avoided. The Brahmin priests take only vegetarian food prepared with clarified butter and abstain from alcohol and strong foods such as onions and garlic. Those who do eat meat are forbidden from eating beef, because cows occupy a sacred place in the Hindu religion. Other products from the cow, however, such as milk, yogurt, and butter are considered innately pure and are thought to promote purity of the mind, spirit, and body. Many devout Hindus fast on the eighteen major Hindu holidays, as well as on numerous personal days, such as birthdays and anniversaries of deaths and marriages. They also fast on Sundays and on days associated with various positions of the moon and the planets.

Buddhism
Many Buddhists are vegetarians, though some include fish in their diet. Eating fish and meat is allowed in Buddhism, though vegetarianism is encouraged.  Most do not eat meat and abstain from all beef products. The birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha are the three most commonly recognized festivals for feasting, resting from work, or fasting. Buddhist monks fast completely on certain days of the moon, and they routinely avoid eating any solid foods after the noon hour. As long as a monk is not seen or suspected of killing the animal, the meat can be eaten. One eats merely to sustain the physical body, hence he should eat without greed, without craving for any kind of food, and without direct involvement in the killing. However, Buddha advised the monks to avoid eating ten kinds of meat for their self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, boars and hyenas. Some animals attack people when they smell the flesh of their own kind. Tibetans will not ever eat fish, and usually stay away from foul. The reason is that different kinds of meat supposedly give different kinds of obscurations. Fish, the obscuration of aggression; foul the obscuration of desire; and red meat the obscruration of ignorance. Evidently, they would take the ignorance over the others. Also, it was generally better to eat red meat because the animal killed was very large and only one life had to be taken to feed many people; with fish, you usually have to take many more lives to fill the same number of stomachs.



Christianity
Most Christians don't have dietary restrictions, but some fast on Fridays (or don't eat meat) or during Lent. Some Christians do not eat pork or seafood, unless it contains scales.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity
An essential element of practicing an Orthodox life includes fasting, since its intrinsic value is part of the development of a spiritual life. To practicing Orthodox believers, fasting teaches self-restraint, which is the source of all good.

The dietary practices of devout Catholics center around the restriction of meat or fasting behaviors on specified holy days. On the designated days, Catholics may abstain from all food, or they may restrict meat and meat products. Water or nonstimulant liquids are usually allowed during the fast.


Judaism
Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods Jews can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. These laws were formulated for health reasons. For example, rules about the use of pans, plates, utensils, and separation of meat from dairy products are intended to reduce contamination. The term kosher refers to the methods of processing foods according to the Jewish laws. Jews only eat animals that have a split hoof and chew their cud, such as sheep, goats and cows. Reptiles and pigs are forbidden to be eaten. The food must be thoroughly drained of any blood. Ritual slaughter has to performed by a shochet who kills the animal with a quick deep stroke of a sharp blade. This method does not cause the animal any pain and is the most humane way of slaughtering. Meat may not be eaten together with dairy, and Jews can only consume wine produced by a Jew. Forbidden animals may not be eaten at all, be it the flesh, milk, eggs, or organs.


 Other rules include:

1. A Jewish person must prepare grape products, otherwise they are forbidden.
2. Jewish laws dictate the slaughter and removal of blood from meat before it can be eaten.
3. Animals such as pigs and rabbits and creatures of the sea, such as lobster, shrimp, and clams, may not be eaten.
4. Meat and dairy products cannot be eaten at the same meal or served on the same plate, and kosher and nonkosher foods cannot come into contact with the same plates.

Islam
To the Muslims, eating is a matter of faith for those who follow the dietary laws called Halal, a term for all permitted foods. The dietary laws of Islam are quite similar to those of the Jews, and they forbid eating blood, pork, animals found dead, and food sacrificed or offered to idols. Those foods that are prohibited, such as pork and birds of prey, are known as Haram, while the foods that are questionable for consumption are known as Mashbooh. Muslims eat to preserve their good health, and overindulgence or the use of stimulants such as tea, coffee, or alcohol are discouraged. Fasting is practiced regularly on Mondays and Thursdays, and more often for six days during Shawwal (the tenth month of the Islamic year) and for the entire month of Ramadan (the ninth month). Fasting on these occasions includes abstention from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset. In the Muslim faith, the holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year and is devoted to prayer, fasting, and charity. Muslims believe that it was during this month that God first began to reveal the holy book of Islam, the Quran, to the prophet Muhammad. Most Muslims are required to refrain from food and drink during daylight hours for the entire month. The fast is broken in the evening by a meal called the iftar, which traditionally includes dates and water or sweet drinks, and is resumed again at sunrise. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five Pillars of Faith, which are the most important religious duties in Islam. The practice is meant to remind Muslims of the poor, to cleanse the body, and to foster serenity and spiritual devotion. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, the "Festival of Breaking the Fast."


Mormonism
The law of health—the Word of Wisdom—contains the laws for proper eating and the rules of abstinence for tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, and illegal drugs. Mormons must choose foods that build up the body, improve endurance, and enhance intellect. Products from the land, such as grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, are to take the place of meats; meats, sugar, cheeses, and spices are to be avoided. Reason and self-control in eating is expected in order to stay healthy.

Rastafarianism Members of this group are permitted to eat any food that is I-tal food, meaning that it is cooked only slightly. Therefore, meats are not consumed, canned goods are avoided, and drinks that are unnatural are not allowed. Fish under twelve inches long may be eaten, but other types of seafood are restricted.

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church advocates a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, including moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products and the avoidance of meat, fish, fowl, coffee, tea, alcohol, and toboacco products (though these are not strictly prohibited). The church's beliefs are grounded in the Bible, and in a "belief in the wholistic nature of people" (Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Nutrition Council).

Type of religion	Practice or restriction	Rationale
Buddhism	• Refrain from meat, vegetarian diet is desirable • Moderation in all foods • Fasting required of monks	• Natural foods of the earth are considered most pure • Monks avoid all solid food after noon
Eastern Orthodox Christianity	• Restrictions on Meat and Fish • Fasting Selectively	• Observance of Holy Days includes fasting and restrictions to increase spiritual progress
Hinduism	• Beef prohibited • All other meat and fish restricted or avoided • Alcohol avoided • Numerous fasting days	• Cow is sacred and can't be eaten, but products of the "sacred" cow are pure and desirable • Fasting promotes spiritual growth
Islam	• Pork and certain birds prohibited • Alcohol prohibited • Coffee/tea/stimulants avoided • Fasting from all food and drink during specific periods	• Eating is for good health • Failure to eat correctly minimizes spiritual awareness • Fasting has a cleansing effect of evil elements
Judaism	• Pork and shellfish prohibited • Meat and dairy at same meal prohibited • Leavened food restricted • Fasting practiced	• Land animals that do not have cloven hooves and that do not chew their cud are forbidden as unclean (e.g., hare, pig, camel) • Kosher process is based upon the Torah
Mormonism	• Alcohol and beverages containing caffeine prohibited • Moderation in all foods • Fasting practiced	• Caffeine is addictive and leads to poor physical and emotional health • Fasting is the discipline of self-control and honoring to God
Protestants	• Few restrictions of food or fasting observations • Moderation in eating, drinking, and exercise is promoted	• God made all animal and natural products for humans' enjoyment • Gluttony and drunkenness are sins to be controlled
Rastafarianism	• Meat and fish restricted • Vegetarian diets only, with salts, preservatives, and condiments prohibited • Herbal drinks permitted; alcohol, coffee, and soft drinks prohibited • Marijuana used extensively for religious and medicinal purposes	• Pigs and shellfish are scavengers and are unclean • Foods grown with chemicals are unnatural and prohibited • Biblical texts support use of herbs (marijuana and other herbs)
Roman Catholicism	• Meat restricted on certain days • Fasting practiced	• Restrictions are consistent with specified days of the church year
Seventh-day Adventist	• Pork prohibited and meat and fish avoided • Vegetarian diet is encouraged • Alcohol, coffee, and tea prohibited	• Diet satisfies practice to "honor and glorify God"