According to Thai tradition, people believe in superstition in order to look for luck that will enter their lives. Days, colors, hair styles and so on are all things people are concerned about when they spend their daily lives such as a running business and applying for a job. Food is another topic people think of since its name.
“Keng Ka-noon” or Jack-fruit curry, the Northern Thai dish, is believed to be a dish for good luck. You may wonder why?? According to the word “noon” in Thai has a positive denotative meaning, it means to support and prop up. If you eat it, you would be glorious and distinguished as the support of Ka-noon or Jack-fruit.
“Keng Ka-noon” or Jack-fruit curry, the Northern Thai dish, is believed to be a dish for good luck. You may wonder why?? According to the word “noon” in Thai has a positive denotative meaning, it means to support and prop up. If you eat it, you would be glorious and distinguished as the support of Ka-noon or Jack-fruit.
Thus Northern Thai people usually cook and have it then share to a member of family on the 16th of April in order to start a good life on Northern Thai New year. Moreover it is taken in Thai wedding ceremony because people believe that it brings a long, stable and constant relationship between a bride and a groom eating that dish because of its very sticky rubbery consistancy. In addition a bride and a groom will not break away from each other but stay together forever.
In co
ntrast, this particular dish wouldn’t be offered or cooked to anyone because it is considered bad luck it is called “Keng Hoi” or “Fresh-water snail”. In Northern Thailand, people believe that a fresh-water snail is a symbol of dissension, discord and conflict. So people ignore to serve to friends, guests and especially lovers. There isn’t any suitable reason to explain why it is bad.
In co
ntrast, this particular dish wouldn’t be offered or cooked to anyone because it is considered bad luck it is called “Keng Hoi” or “Fresh-water snail”. In Northern Thailand, people believe that a fresh-water snail is a symbol of dissension, discord and conflict. So people ignore to serve to friends, guests and especially lovers. There isn’t any suitable reason to explain why it is bad. There are many other Thai foods people believe as good and bad luck among Thai culture. Anyway I can’t say I believe the idea or I don’t but I think it isn’t too bad to say “NO”, if it would bring a good thing to me life.
For all of you, how do you think?
Would you like to share your experiences about it?
Share with me!!
Thanyalak
For all of you, how do you think?
Would you like to share your experiences about it?
Share with me!!
Thanyalak
4 comments:
I am not really believe in superstition, but other people have strong believed especially elderly people. So when I visit my friend’s home and if they cooked “Kaeng Hoi” or fresh water snail curry they will not invite me to join the meal. However, it’s not their intention that they do not want me to eat their food, but they believed that “Kaeng Hoi” is not supposed to share with friends since it can create conflict.
Not only fresh water snail that Northern Thai people believe that it’s a symbol of dissension, discord and conflict, but duck as well. Duck’s symbol is as same as fresh water snail. It is not surprised that food that made of duck is not so popular in Chiang Mai except for those who have Chinese background. I used to ask elderly people why duck is not popular, they told me that duck is considered as dirty animal.
There is no explanation about this, however, to live happily in the society we may need to follow the social norm. For me, I love “Koy Tiew Ped” (Noodle in duck soup with Chinese five spices) and the BEST duck soup noodle is at the shop in front of Rimping Supermarket, Ruam Choke branch. I can’t remember the name, but seems to be the only one duck noodle shop there.
Noi ;)
I quite believe in superstition because I was born in the real northern people who always follows the ancestor's belief. Moreover, I have the experience about some kinds of northern food. For example when someone will build a new house, the owners and workers must eat Lab (chopped pork)on the first day. Because its northern meaning of Lab is lucky.The owners want their house to be perfect and they also want to have good luck , or they eat Lab. Futhermore, in the past the guests in the northern wedding must eat Kaeng Fuk kheaw (curry mixed with green vegetable that its shape looks like pumkin) in order to bless the bride and bridegroom to love love foreover and forgive each other when they have the family problem. So, I think food is concerned with good luck and bad luck surely. Although I don't know the explanation, I believe in good and bad food. If it's not true, why do our parents or the old in our society believe in eating food ?
Personally, I think good or bad luck of each dish are related to its name. As long as it has a good name we believe that it will bring us luck. This kind of belief has long been passed from generation to generation. Even though we have no real answer why we can’t have this or that and why we should have this or that, but at least we are willing to avoid it if we know it is classed as bad luck. It is a kind of superstition the same as Noi said, I am also in this type of person.
Another Thai dish that I can think of is called “LARB” or “Windfall” this dish is quite popular among superstitious people including myself. We eat it on special days such New Year Day. That’s again because of its name is in a promising meaning. However, “Jackfruit Curry” I just have heard from you about the meaning behind this dish, so I will remember this dish for next year definitely.
Phitchaya Phungpadoong
I think this kind of tradition penetrate to many society like Islamic in the northern region of Thailand. For ages, they never had such the food custom to do with any special occasions. Nowadays, Islamic people try to combine the northern believes to their ways of living. Like, in the wedding and engagement, many northern muslim people like to have the dinner in Northern style (Kantoke)and the food usually be the Larb, (spicy minched meat), Kha-nom-sen, (nothern stlye white noodles), what we cannot forget is Jackfruit curry. These kind of food relates to the northern believe at all.
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