Nasi Kangkang: Fact or fiction?
By: Fayyadh Jaafar
Tags: Superstition, Myths, Mythology, Malaysian Culture, Folklore

Superstition has always been a part of the human race. We tend to believe that if we do something, anything, even if it’s remotely possible, it will have some effect on our lives. This has led to the birth of many myths and legends, many of which remain prevalent until this day.

One of the most common superstitions in Malaysia is the act of nasi kangkang (literally: crotch rice), in which a woman squats over a bowl of rice while it is cooking in order to serve it to the husband. The belief is that it would make the husband subservient to the wife.

This has always been a debatable topic among Malaysians. Some say that this was something done in the old days by Malay women, while others consider it to be a mere urban legend, just another story told around the dinner table to scare children.

Like most urban legends, there is some truth to it. But how much? That is what we are aiming to find out.

The first question is whether or not nasi kangkang is even a real thing. And if it is, whether or not anyone still practises it.

The answer to the former question is an obvious yes. The latter, however, is a bit more complicated.

Who knows? Nasi kangkang may very well be a thing of the past that is only heard of in classic folktales, or it could still be practised in the remotest parts of Malaysia. Who knows? What is known, though, is that nasi kangkang was indeed a thing done by our ancestors.

Despite the Malay community’s Islamic background, there are still remnants of the superstitions of the old days. Even up until modern times, some of these practices survived. One such practise that has remained is the act of nasi kangkang.

The ritual isn’t unique to the Malay community though, it is also found in other parts of the world. Nasi kangkang is just the Malay term for it. In the Caribbean, this is known as sweat rice. It is still unknown whether the tradition came from Malaysia or it was brought over to the Caribbean islands by early Malay settlers to the islands.

But how is this done exactly? The method is quite simple. All you really need is a bowl of uncooked rice, a chair, and, of course… well, you get the idea.

As mentioned before, the ritual is supposed to make your husband subservient to the practitioner. The act itself requires the practitioner to just… well you know.

The liquid that is released is then poured onto the bowl of rice. It seems that the more you do it, the more subservient your husband becomes.

After doing…that thing…a few times, all you have to do is serve your husband the rice. It is said that he will become so subservient that you can do whatever you want, and he won’t even dare complain.

Whether this is just a bunch of bull or not, it is a fact that this practise was done in the past by some Malaysians. It is unknown how widespread this practise is, though. It could be just some isolated cases in rural areas, or it could be something more. Who knows?

But I believe the term “nasi kangkang” is utilised as a joke to explain why some husbands tend to be a bit “submissive” in their marriage. Of course, the practise of nasi kangkang is not exclusive to married couples. Notoriously, it was also used by single women in an effort to tame down guys that they found “unruly”. Thus, the joke has become a term to explain a guy that is a bit on the “submissive” side.

But is the joke a fact? That is to say, is there any truth behind the acts of nasi kangkang? I can’t exactly say for sure since I can’t personally attest to such acts. I’m not a married man, nor am I familiar with any stories of nasi kangkang in real life.

Of course, there is always the possibility that this practise doesn’t really exist anymore, and it is nothing more than an ancient practise that lingers on in our psyche. A relic of old wives’ tales that mothers once warned their daughters about wayward husbands.

So, to conclude this, I must say that nasi kangkang is either a bunch of bull or an ancient relic of our not so distant past. But who knows? Maybe in a few years, someone will come forward and tell us that they saw their neighbor’s wife doing something weird over a bowl of rice.

Or maybe, just maybe our mothers knew what they were talking about all along. But till then, it is safe to say, nasi kangkang is nothing more than a bunch of bull.

Stay skeptical, folks.