Tag: Japanese writing system

Interestingly, while the Japanese writing system known as kanji has no such properties, an Indian fermented drink with the same name is indeed known for its laxative effects. The confusion arises from a linguistic overlap, where two entirely different cultural items share a similar-sounding name.

According to linguists, there are over 40,000 kanji characters in the Japanese writing system, none of which are edible. Yet, a surprisingly common search query asks, “Can I have kanji for dinner?”. This widespread and understandable confusion comes from a cross-cultural homonym, contrasting Japanese script with a comforting South Indian rice porridge dish that shares the same name.