Why you should never cut noodles or flip a fish: food superstitions across Asia
Superstitions may sound funny, or even foolish, but they are also cultural codebooks—ways of teaching community values across generations. In Asia, food isn’t just there to feed the body. It feeds hopes, wards off curses and, in some cases, decides how long you’ll live. For every recipe passed down through dynasties, there’s a superstition that warns against wasting a grain of rice or sticking chopsticks upright in a bowl.
These traditions are as much a part of the dining table as soy sauce or steamed rice. Some trace their roots to religion, history and agriculture, while others are born from linguistic puns and playful wordplay. What emerges is a guided tour of Asia’s most deliciously deep-rooted food superstitions—equal parts history lesson, cultural anthropology and family dinner table drama.
In case you missed it: 6 classic Chinese New Year dishes explained by famous Hong Kong chefs
Japan: lucky octopus snacks and pear taboos
Apart from stuffing yourself with octopus before an exam or a presentation, try to avoid cutting your nails in the evening. In Japan, that could seriously shorten your life (Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels)
Japan delights in food puns, and many superstitions rest on homophones. Case in point: nashi (梨, pear) sounds like nashi (無, nothing). Giving pears as gifts—especially to the unwell—was once considered like wishing “nothingness.” Hardly an uplifting gesture.
Meanwhile, octopus has become a lucky study snack for students. Why? Because “tako” (octopus) can be linked to “taku” (to grip). Before exams, kids eat octopus so the lessons will “stick.” Before exams, students eat octopus in the hope that knowledge will “stick.” It’s a bit of a stretch, but a comforting leap in logic during calculus season.
China: longevity noodles and chopstick warnings
Many Chinese superstitions have gone global, but be careful when you enjoy your fish (Photo: Sai Kuen Leung / Pexels)
Few food superstitions are more widely known than China’s longevity noodles (长寿面). Slurp them whole on birthdays to symbolise a long life, but never cut them, as this is said to shorten one’s years. The custom dates back to the Han Dynasty, when extra-long noodles represented an unbroken thread of vitality.
Another firm rule: never leave chopsticks planted upright in rice. The pose mirrors incense sticks used at funerals, making it an ominous metaphor for death. Chinese parents everywhere warn their children against it zealously.
Travellers should also beware flipping a whole fish. In folklore, a flipped fish means a capsized boat—bad luck for anyone about to set sail.
India: lemon–chilli charms and yoghurt rituals
Other Indian superstitions to know: because cows are sacred, their milk is revered as a symbol of nourishment and purity; serving odd numbers of sweets at feasts also invites good fortune (Photo: Vindhya Chandrasekharan/ Pexels)
In India, food superstitions double as DIY spiritual insurance. A garland of lemons and green chillies dangling outside shops is not random garnish: it’s a talisman against buri nazar, or the evil eye. The acid of the lemon and the heat of the chilli are thought to neutralise envy, like kitchen-grade exorcism.
Before big tests or journeys, Indians often eat dahi-cheeni—a spoonful of yoghurt mixed with sugar. Yoghurt (cooling) plus sugar (energy) equals balance and luck, at least according to centuries of Ayurvedic tradition. For many, it’s less superstition and more ritual: mom with a spoon at the door, the ultimate send-off.
Korea: sticky rice cakes for lasting luck
In Korea, rice cakes are considered auspicious, but serving only four pieces of food is a no-no. ‘Sa,’ the Korean word for four, sounds like death.” This superstition is also echoed in China and Japan (Photo: Jirka Matousek / Wikimedia Commons)
In Korea, good grades may literally be one bite away. Similar to octopus in Japan, students eat sticky rice cakes called chapssal-tteok before exams, hoping knowledge will “stick.” The symbolism extends to weddings, birthdays and housewarmings, where rice cakes stand in for permanence and prosperity. Their sticky texture signifies bonds that won’t easily break, making them both a sweet and a superstition rolled into one.
The Philippines: sacred rice and New Year’s fruit
Kakanin is a mainstay in Filipino feasts, perhaps because its reassuring quality (Photo: Denniz Futalan / Pexels)
In the Philippines, rice is more than a staple—it is sacred. Wasting a single grain is considered bad luck, with parents warning that uneaten rice foretells poverty or, more playfully, a future spouse with a pockmarked face.
New Year brings another ritual: arranging 12 round fruits for prosperity, one for each month. Sticky rice desserts like suman and biko also carry meaning, promising that fortune and relationships will stick around in the year ahead. At weddings and launches, however, sour dishes are avoided. After all, no one wants life—or a business deal—to turn sour.
See more: Grain of nostalgia: Honouring kakanin across the Philippines
Thailand: coconut omens and eggshell rules
Another good omen apart from coconuts? Not finishing all the rice in your bowl! Unlike in the Philippines, leaving a few grains means abundance ahead (Photo: NipananLifestyle.com / Pexels)
Thailand’s food superstitions marry Buddhist beliefs, agricultural rhythms and good old-fashioned household wisdom.
Start with the coconut, a fruit believed to carry protective powers. Before exams, Thai students sometimes drink sweet coconut water or eat coconut desserts—“ma-phrao” sounds like “not bad” in Thai, a pun that turns coconuts into edible good omens. Some families even crack a coconut before moving into a new house to ward off bad spirits and welcome prosperity.
Then there’s the eggshell rule: after cracking an egg, don’t leave the shell halves joined together. Folklore suggests that it resembles a boat and could bring bad luck to fishermen, capsizing their fortunes at sea. Even inland families often break the shells apart out of habit, a tiny act of respect for ancestors who lived off rivers and coasts.
And finally, Thai wedding feasts often feature sweet dishes, such as thong yip or thong yod (golden egg yolk sweets). Their bright colour and rich sweetness symbolise wealth, harmony and an auspicious start to married life.
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