Asian people contribute a great diversity of beliefs and long-established traditional rituals. Amongst those, some make an absolute sense while the others are seemingly untrue in this way or another. For the latter one, we call it superstition. Vietnamese, with a harmonious fusion of different Asian ethnicities, have come up with a wide range of superstitions that relate to various fields of life, and Vietnam food culture is surely one of which. Our article today discloses six misperceptions that go off well with folklore apprehension.
Two sticks in the bowl
Apparently, in a daily lunch with a Vietnamese family, kids who tend to stick their dining utensils upright amid their bowl of rice would trigger adults around. The fact can be explained that two chopsticks when kept straight upright give out an exact look of two incense sticks offered to the dead. Because of such, this event will direct ghosts’ attention into sharing the same meal with living diners.
Playing drums with your chopsticks and bowls
Naughty kids and youngsters in Vietnam are advised not to knock and make sound with their chopsticks and bowls. They believe that such an act would attract wandering souls and bring bad luck to the family.
Just place them in a regular way (Source: Google)
Turning your fish upside down
If you are in a day trip to Mekong Delta with a guide, you would be somehow introduced to such an interesting ritual that Vietnamese eaters are raised not to turn their fried fish upside down when placed on a plate. This is a consequence of aqua-oriented civilization. Fish is a representation of water travel vehicles. Hence, flipping your fish backward forecasts a boat accident. Accordingly, in this case, what you only need to do is taking off the bone and move on dining.
This is how some Vietnamese set up the fish (Source: Google)
Looking forward to an examination? You do not want to hear this
If the two above relate an actual aspect of culture and tradition, this third misconception is a sample of paronomasia. The way we Vietnamese refer to a specific kind of food could lead to another meaning that sometimes totally reverse its initial scenario. Prior to one examination, friends advise one another not to consume anything made of eggs. As such image gives out an example of “0”. Below are several other misperceptions that bear the same purpose.
- Banana: This type of fruit is seemingly causing you a stumble, and because of such, your whole result would be a bad outcome.
- Black sesame cuisine: Black is not a favored color in this case. Apart from sesame, other various ingredients that release such negative hue will also bring you the same outcome.
- Peanuts: The word “Peanut” in Vietnamese is pronounced as “Lạc”, which bears another meaning of “Faulty”, or “Wrong”. Hence, do not consume this kind of cereal if you do not want to go far from your given questionnaires.
- Pumpkins: Even though pumpkin seems to be such a nutritious ingredient and that should be eaten before an important test to boost your level of analysis, the way it is written down in Vietnamese, “Bí”, directs the meaning into a totally different way, “Dull”, or “Foolish”.
Stay away from this (Source: Google)
Do not stress yourself with going vegan! Just one day means a lot
Somehow becoming a little belief and ritual, the Vietnamese believe that only being a vegetarian for one day only, the first date of the lunar month, is good enough to clear all one’s sins. On such occasions, most of the natives regardless of social status get rid of their casual meat-made meals. The absence of real meat products and heavy-like dishes provide them with good health and peace of mind for the rest of the month. It is also a common thought that when you are not directly killing any living soul, you hence collect your good deeds and subject to a better life in the coming future.
Vietnamese vegan food (Source: Google)
Change your destiny with a portion of “Balut”
Are things not going the way you want it to have? Has life been turning your passion into an unsatisfying scenario that kills your daily mood? Then do not hesitate to come over Vietnam, take a night food tour and experience Vietnam food culture with “Balut”, or let’s say “Duck Embryo”. In Vietnamese colloquial term, such exotic cuisine is written as “Hột Vịt Lộn”, and the last word of all, “Lộn” can be literally translated into “Reverse”. Hence, consuming a few pieces of “Hột Vịt Lộn” will help flip your bad luck upside down. However, do not forget to make it follow the odd numbers. For instance, even numbers like two or four are supposed to turn your luck from bad to good, and back to bad once more.
Hột Vịt Lộn (Source: Google)
For now, what is your thought about this special Vietnam food culture? If you are still double-checking on them, why not pack your bags, head straight to Vietnam and claim an authentic night food tour for yourself.
Yennie Nguyen
