Rice has long been regarded as sacred across Borneo and much of Southeast Asia.
SOMEWHERE between modern security systems and the neighbourhood WhatsApp group, Malaysians have quietly held on to a much older line of defence, one that smells faintly of citrus and doesn’t require a monthly subscription.
Across our many cultures, everyday household items have long been believed to keep the supernatural at bay.
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Better yet, most are probably already in your kitchen. Rice has long been regarded as sacred across Borneo and much of Southeast Asia.
Among Dayak communities, it carries semangat, or life force. Scatter a handful at your doorstep and folklore says you’re marking your home as spiritually protected.
Apparently, even spirits know better than to argue with rice. Salt is another favourite.
Whether you’re worried about a toyol or just uneasy after passing a cemetery at night, a bowl of coarse salt by the door has long been seen as protection. Evil, it seems, has a sodium problem. Then there’s limau purut.
Used in bomoh rituals, its sharp scent is believed to cleanse spiritual impurities. Bathing with it after a funeral or unsettling encounter is an old tradition that also happens to be good for your hair.
Betel leaf, or sirih, is believed to purify spaces and appease unseen forces, while pandan leaves are said to repel certain spirits — despite being the same ingredient we happily use in kuih and desserts.
Thorny plants such as mengkuang or cacti are also thought to keep unwanted visitors away. The logic is simple, if they’re hard to get through physically, they’re probably no easier spiritually.
Then there are scissors. Left open beneath a pillow or above a doorway, their crossed iron blades are believed to frighten away spirits, perhaps explaining why so many grandmothers frowned upon leaving them open.
In an age of CCTV and smart locks, it’s oddly reassuring to think your pantry might still offer a little supernatural security. After all, you never know when dinner ingredients might double as ghost repellent.
