History of Brahmin diet

Dietary habits and customs were one of the major factors that have played a major role in the formation,evolution and development of Indian caste system. Most of the Brahmin communities in modern Indian have been practicing vegetarianism since centuries,which was not the case in the Vedic, and Post-Vedic period.

Brahmin food habits as mentioned in the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures

From the Vedic age upto the earlier times of The Dharma sutras,the four Varnas had no difference regarding their food and conduct.All Varnas had similar food habits,and both vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism were very popular..

Vedic Era

No strict dietary laws have been mentioned in Vedas,but Hindu dietary laws were made,when the Dharma sutras were being written.Beef was not forbidden in the Vedas,and the sacrificial animals which were often cows were eaten as a part of ritual by the Brahmins.Tenth mandala of the Rigveda mentions cows being slaughtered in honour of Indra and other deities.It also mentions butcher houses that were erected to slaughter cows.Further Yajurveda mentions Ashvamedha or the horse sacrifice,and even Purushamedha or the Human sacrifice(Yajurveda (VS 30–31)).The flesh of the sacrificial animals was partaken by the sacrificer.Eating of sacrificial human was later abandoned by the Brahmins,at the cost of logic inconsistency.The custom of animal sacrifice still continued.

Brahmanas

Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda,mentions the rules for distribution of the different parts of the sacrifical animals among the priest. Further it again mentions that a Kshatriya sacrificer is not allowed to eat sacrificial food(sacrificed animals and other food items),but the Brahma priest eats his portion for him.

Sutras

Baudhayana says(Baudhayana Dharmasutra),carnivorous animals,tamed birds,pigs,cocks should not be eaten.Five toed animals,animals with cloven hoofs,birds that feed scratching with their feet,etc. may be eaten.Apastamba(Apastamba Dharmasutra) gives another list of animals not to be eaten.He also mentioned that during Shraddha meat should be offered to the ancestors.

Ramayana and Mahabharata

• Ramayana(2.11.72) mentions pig,deer,fish,goat being served on the occasion of feasts to Kings,guests,Brahmins,Rishis,and priests.
• Ramayana(2.11.70):When Bharat visited sage Bharadwaja's ashram situated in a forest,the food items prepared for him included the flesh of [...] and a peacock.

Brahmins of South india

South Indian Brahmins during the sutra period,like those of North India were meat eaters.Kapilar(Puṟanāṉūṟu,poems 113,119),a Brahmin poet in ancient Tamil Country,says:

Impact of Buddhism and Jainism

From the early centuries of the Christian era,Buddhism and Jainism contributed much to the ac crescent belief that nonviolence is supremely valued which stimulated growing hostility to the slaughter of live animals.Priests who participates in sacrifices and eating the flesh of the animals were degraded.For the same reasons,high proportion of Brahmins gave up partaking flesh and fish.

In 4th and 5th century AD. in the Tamil country the cults of Vishnu and Shiva,had to fight against those of the Jains.The Vaishnava and Shaiva could not make much headway against the cult of the Jains(who believed in non-violence and vegetarianism),if they did not give up eating of flesh.Hence they adopted abstention from meat and liquor as one of their fundamental principles.