Rice Cakes, KitKats and Good Luck: Exam Superstitions Across Asia
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
As college entrance exams approach across Asia, many countries share the custom of eating specific foods believed to bring success. In Korea, sticky taffy (yeot) and glutinous rice cakes (chapssaltteok) — foods that cling — symbolize hopes that students will stick to passing; these treats date back at least to the Joseon era. In China, people eat zongzi (쭝쯔; glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in leaves) during exam season because the word "zong" sounds like hitting the center, implying hitting the target on tests. In Japan, mochi (もち; rice cake) and tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) are popular because mochi is a lucky food and tonkatsu sounds like katsu (勝つ; "to win"); KitKat is also gifted because its Japanese pronunciation resembles "kitto katsu" (きっと勝つ; "surely win"). In Vietnam, families cook glutinous rice colored with juice from the gac fruit (gac) for good luck, while avoiding peanuts and eggs because of unfavorable word associations and symbolic shapes. These culinary traditions reflect cultural hopes and wordplay tied to academic success.
