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Zoey Zhang

“Sour for boys, spicy for girls”, or suan nan la nu in Mandarin, is a popular old wives’ tale in China used to predict the gender of unborn babies based on changes to the mother’s diet during pregnancy.
Many people believe that if an expectant mother prefers sour foods, a boy is on the way, while spicy foods point to a girl.
But does the belief actually translate into reality?
The Post finds out.
Gender preference
The favouring sons over daughters is deeply rooted in China.
Influenced by traditional Confucian thought, males are seen to continue the family line.
When the mainland was a largely agrarian economy males were more physically well suited to be the backbone of the family.
This belief persists despite modern ideas about gender equality.
Some family members celebrate if a pregnant woman craves sour foods, believing it predicts a son and secures the family line.

Cravings for spicy foods may suggest a daughter. This can affect how the mother-to-be is treated, and in extreme cases even pressure to have an abortion.
By the end of last year, there were over 30 million more males than females in the country, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
The imbalance has led to a surplus of males, many of whom are unable to marry or establish families.
Mumbo-jumbo?
It will come as no surprise that the above beliefs have no scientific basis.
Tencent Medipedia, a Chinese medical science popularisation website, wrote on Weibo that the baby’s gender is already determined after pregnancy, and taste preferences have nothing to do with it.
Experts say that women may indeed experience appetite changes during pregnancy, but this is simply a physiological phenomenon.
Substances secreted by the placenta during pregnancy inhibit gastric enzyme secretion, often causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.
These symptoms can be alleviated by consuming acidic foods, so pregnant women often develop a preference for sour tastes.
In China, it is illegal for doctors to inform expectant mothers of the baby’s gender. Routine prenatal checks only assess the overall development of the unborn child.
One supporter of the old saying said: “It’s hard not to believe this. When I had a son, I loved to eat sour plums. When I had a daughter, I really loved spicy hotpot.”
Another online observer took a different view: “Let’s believe in science. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, I will give my unborn child the best of everything.”

Pregnancy tales
There are many old sayings about predicting the gender of an unborn baby in China.
One says that if an expectant mother has a round belly, this signifies a girl, while a pointed belly suggests it is a boy. But medical experts have debunked this.
The shape of the belly depends on the mother’s body type, fat content and pelvic shape.
Another unscientific belief suggests that if a woman is carrying a boy, her skin will become rough and dull, whereas if she is carrying a girl, her skin will stay smooth.
Skin conditions are solely related to hormone levels during pregnancy.


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Traditional belief persists in China that if mum-to-be craves sour food, a boy is on the way, if spicy is your thing, it is a girl


The Post takes a look at some old wives’ tales in China and finds out that science often takes a back seat when it comes to pregnancy and the gender of babies.


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Explainer | Old wives’ tales: food choices of Chinese mothers-to-be signal baby’s gender

Traditional belief persists in China that if mum-to-be craves sour food, a boy is on the way, if spicy is your thing, it is a girl

Gender preference