Friday, November 13, 2020

Superstitions a la Carte

Thais have more superstitions about food than the Irish have about beer. Here’s a short list of don’ts. Eating a double banana will give a woman twins, which must be tough for those showgirls doing the banana tricks at go-gos. Eating before your elders will reincarnate you as a dog. This rule is waved for disasters and fast food restaurants. Eating food without rice will give you rickets. Eating salt under a tree will kill the tree. Eating other people’s food without permission will swell your throat, so schnorrers beware. Schnorrer is a Yiddish term for people who eat from another person’s plate without permission. I’m sure there’s lots of Yiddish superstitions too. Eating a kids’ left-overs will make them naughty. Eating before monk during the day will turn you into a ghost. Eating corn with the flu will raise your temperature. Never eat all the rice on your evening plate. Leave a little for the ghosts. Eating chicken feet will give you bad handwriting. My wife loves chicken feet. Yech. Eating chili sauce from a mortar bowl will give your kid big lips. Eating turtles will make you walk slow. Eating chicken feet make me sick. The last is about eating dog. I’ve feasted on dog in Indonesia. It doesn’t taste like chicken feet. It’s actually delicious, but Thais think if you eat it, then you will be possess by the dog’s spirit. Arf Arf. Is that such a bad thing?

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