Foochow Customs : Pork Legs from Married Daughters

It has always been a kind of joke from Foochow men.

"If you have many daughters, you will get to eat a lot of pork legs in your life."

this is because the Foochow custom of daughters bringing pork leg as a gift after marriage was followed for many years in Sibu. However after social advancement and progress this custom was not really followed. Instead parents have been given cash gifts in lieu of the pork leg.

Some parents did not even like to eat pork legs because of cholesterol and other reasons.

There are some memorable and fabulous Foochow recipes for cooking of pork leg. Some banquet menus also offer pork leg but not all hosts or hostesses would appreciate the idea.

Unknown to many perhaps, nosey neighbours, gossipy relatives often damaged the mental health of women who have many daughters. Many timid mothers cried a lot because they had many daughters and they felt burdened for having produced more female then male children. When abusive relatives used pork legs as a topic to insinuate their fellow women they would always be remembered for their unkindness and abuse.

A mother of many daughters once told me that she used to just "swallowed her bitter tears".

Unkind words however may turn around and have positive results. There were my peers for example who were determined to work hard, who struggled hard to be doctors and lawyers to prove that they were better than their male counterparts. Many chose not to get married and eventually did look after their aged parents.

Today many Foochows can say that children, be they boy or girl, depending on so many situations, are really the same. Upbringing, religion, education and so many factors would determine the nature of children.