Influence of Cultural Taboos and Beliefs on Maternity Diet in Asia

Many say the moment a child is born; a mother is born. However, I believe that when she becomes pregnant, caring for the unseen life growing inside of her  births a mother. She is cautious of every little thing that could harm the development of the child. The one thing a mother-to-be is most concerned about is what she consumes. Pregnancy is probably the only time your eating habits will directly affect another person.

If you think pregnancy is a personal matter between your gynecologist and spouse, you’re probably wrong. Your neighboring aunties and relatives will come in flocks with advices (many a times unwanted) about how to have a healthy and perfect baby.  These are advices passed down from generation to generation. Many of the advice also comes from traditional fables. Thus, we can see how maternity diet is influenced by socio-cultural factors such as folklore and traditions. While there a number of Do’s, it is the Don’ts that are fascinating. Each culture has its own set of food taboos and some sound ridiculous but many have a modicum of medical relevance. There are also certain beliefs attached to particular dishes. However, the beliefs differ among cultures. For example, in America, women usually do not eat sushi during pregnancy but that is not the same in Japan. Sushi is considered an ideal food for Japanese women.

Traditional medicine

Traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine are centered on deep rooted cultural philosophies and experiences that women have learnt to trust through generations. For instance, according to Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that women should avoid hot dishes like soup and curry. In addition to this, eggs, mangoes, papayas and certain spices are strictly avoided as it may result in a still born child.  However, on the contrary to Ayurveda, Chinese medicine has a different approach. It dictates that qi (energy) must be balanced by two opposing forces -Ying (negative force) and Yang (positive force). According to Chinese medicine, women should abstain from cold food like ice, ice-cream and watermelon as it has a lot of negative force and can thus lead to a miscarriage. But “wet-hot” foods, like shrimp, mangoes, pineapples and lychees, are also to be avoided, because they might cause allergies or skin problems for the baby.

If you’re someone who has seen a lot Korean dramas you’re probably familiar with Koreans having seaweed soup or Miyeokguk on their birthdays. According to Korean medicine, eating seaweed helps produce healthier breast milk. The reason for doing this has a large medical benefit and can be explained in context to modern medicine.  It helps in nourishing the baby as it contains lots of calcium, iodine, fiber, omega acids and  vitamins.

A bowl of Miyeokguk

Food and social disposition

Most of the beliefs concerning pregnancy sound strange. On a more personal note, my mother used to read Calvin and Hobbes when I was in her womb in the hopes that I would be imaginative and smart like Calvin (clearly that hasn’t worked out). However, my mother hoped I would be mischievous like Calvin and I made sure to live up to her wishes. Taboo’s are not only associated to having a healthy baby but also connected to the personality of the little one. Away from medicine, there are some dietary restrictions that are part of folklore. For instance Chinese folklore cautioned from consuming crab during pregnancy as it could lead to the infant being mischievous. Another Chinese advice is to eat lighter colored food so that the child is fair. This is due to the fact that in traditional Chinese social structures field workers and peasants often have a darker complexion than anyone else in society as a result of spending so much of their time in the sun. Hence, it is evident how an important part of keeping a strict diet is, so that the child is accepted by society.

Long before medical ultrasound was popular, in Korean culture, craving for a particular dish can determine the gender of the infant. Sour foods indicate a girl while craving for sweet food and meat indicate a boy. Thus, is evident that these beliefs were developed at a time when medicine and technology were not advanced enough and so beliefs passed down from generations was the only comfort. However, women today still follow many of the age old advice as it gives them a little comfort and reassurance. It almost seems like mothers are paranoid, but these taboos and beliefs are a reflection of a mother’s caution and affection for her unborn child.

Written by:

Timiha Kunj- FYBA