Ancient Cantonese culinary taboos (Ⅱ)

11. Drivers and boat rowers should avoid turning over the fish when they are eating as it brings bad luck.

12. Businessmen and students passing an entrance examination should avoid eating eels as things may go wrong.

13. Children should avoid eating fish spawn as they may be bad as math when they grow up.

14. Children should avoid eating pig brains as they may become stupid.

15. Children should avoid eating pig tails otherwise they may fall behind others all their lives.

16. Avoid eating raw eggs that have yet not been laid by hens, as he who does may loose his conscience.

17. Avoid leftovers from a meal otherwise you may be struck by lightning or marry an ugly wife.

As regards to eating taboos, it's interesting to learn that Cantonese people will go as far as to change the names of dishes to avoid unlucky sounds: sponge cucumber which sounds like "lose" will be changed into "sheng gua"(victory). Pig's tongue sounds like "lose"(she), so it is renamed "zhu li", which means "win". Pig's liver sounds like "dry" (gan), which is unhealthy so is renamed "zhu run", which mean "moist". Balsam pear sounds like "bitter and pain" and is also considered unhealthy, therefore it is changed into "liang gua", which means "cool".

(Zhuo Xiaojun and David Keyton)