Young children should not eat chicken feet as it is believed they might not be able to write well when they start school. They may also be prone to get in fights like roosters.

Leaving food on one’s plate, particularly grains of rice, will result in marriage to a spouse with many pockmarks on his or her face. Or, the person will have the wrath of the Thunder god.

Another Chinese taboo relating to food is that chopsticks should not be left standing straight up in a bowl of rice. This act is said to bring bad luck to the restaurant owner as chopsticks stuck in rice look similar to incense placed in urns at temples when meals are offered to ancestors.