食物有许多象征意义; 它不仅表达，而且建立了人与环境之间的关系，也建立了人与自己相信的关系。 因此，食物是社会的重要组成部分。
一个人单独食用的食物不是社会食物。 但是，当一群人在一个宗教仪式上一起消费或吃饭时，就会确定食物的社会性。 在人类社会中，食物是人们建立和表达彼此之间关系的手段。 这种关系可以存在于个人，社区成员，宗教团体和民族之间。 例如在中国的春节
Food has many symbolic meanings; it not only expresses but also establishes the relationship between people and their environment as well as between people and what they believe. Therefore, food is an important component of a society.
Food consumed by one person alone is not a social food. However, when it is consumed by a group of people together or eaten in a religious ceremony, the sociality of food is identified. In human society, food is a means for people to establish and express relationships between one another. This relationship can exist among individuals, community members, religious groups, and ethnic groups. For instance, in the Spring Festival in China