Thai Superstitions about Food and Eating

[rcalaimo]

Thai Superstitions about Food and Eating
Posted: 30th March 2005
In Thai food blogs by Richard.
Has anyone ever come across these or other sayings?


Every country has their own Old Wive's Tales. A list of things you shouldn't do. Thailand is no exception. Some of these seem crazy on the surface but most have hidden good reasons. You will still hear some of these being said today in some Thai families.

* Don't eat a double banana because if you are a woman you will give birth to twins.
* Don't eat before your elders because in your next life you will be born as a dog.
* Don't eat food without rice because you will get rickets.
* Don't eat salt under a tree because it will make the tree die.
* Don't eat other people's food without permission because it will make your throat swollen.
* Don't eat the leftovers from your child because it will make the kid naughty.
* Don't eat before a monk because you will become a bad ghost.
* Don't eat corn when you have the flu because it will give you a higher fever.
* Don't eat all of the rice during your evening meal because you should leave some for the elves.
* Don't eat cold rice with hot rice because you will lose your way easily the next time you go out.
* Don't eat egg when you have cut yourself because it will make it worse.
* Don't eat chicken feet because it will give you bad handwriting.
* Don't eat chili sauce in the mortar bowl because if you are a woman you will give birth to a child with big lips.
* Don't eat turtles because it will make you walk slowly.
* Don't eat dog because the dog's spirit will possess you.

Source: Translated from "Boran Oo-bai" by Sanom Krutmeuang

[Eun Seo]

Ha Ha when i was young everyone tell me do not eat chicken feet, you will have a bad writing but I eat it!! and I have a beautiful writing!!

[rcalaimo]

Eun Soe, well it is a good thing you ate the chicken feet ,your writing IS pretty good

[Eun Seo]

Do not turn over your fired fish, your boat will sink or your business will fail. Believe it or not!! lol

[mikeize]

Ha Ha when i was young everyone tell me do not eat chicken feet, you will have a bad writing but I eat it!! and I have a beautiful writing!!

It's funny, because here in usa, we call bad handwriting "chicken scratch"! Also whenever I dropped silverware (fork and spoon) my mom said "company's coming"! My wife (thai) just told me that they have the same thing in thailand. I think that it is really interesting when very separate cultures share the same superstitions or sayings independantly of each other...

-mike

[rcalaimo]

I thought this was funny- This person I know from Thailand told me once that where she came from they had a saying. "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"
When I was in the service and stationed in Thailand ,apples from the base were a special treat. I was just wondering if the saying came from that era in muang thai.