Why Food Is Central to Chinese New Year
Besides the lanterns and fireworks, Chinese New Year is about family, coming together and plenty of happiness. And nothing brings people together like food. Typically, the food served at the start of the New Year stands for luck, prosperity, good health or togetherness. Food in Chinese culture isn’t only to fill your stomach; it’s considered a gift. Whether you’re making a holiday meal or just want to enjoy the traditional fare, you should start with these top 10 dishes.
1. Dumplings – Wealth and Fortune
We can’t begin our discussion without first mentioning dumplings (jiaozi). As ancient Chinese gold ingots are shaped similarly, dumplings are thought to represent prosperity and wealth. People often get together as a family to put their dumplings together on New Year’s Eve, filling them with pork, cabbage or chives. It is sometimes said that whoever gets the lucky coin from a dumpling will have more luck in the following year. No matter how you cook them, dumplings taste wonderful and mean good luck.
2. Whole Fish – Abundance and Surplus
Mandarin speakers associate the word for fish (yu) with the idea of having a surplus, so it is tradition to include fish at Chinese New Year lunch or dinner. Having an entire fish on your plate (head to tail) means you will achieve success and accomplishment in the coming year. Many say that a New Year should bring you “年年有余” (nian nian you yu)—plentiful outcomes year after year. However, don’t eat all the fish—saving some is supposed to bring good fortune in the year to come.
3. Longevity Noodles – Long Life and Good Health
Longevity noodles or chang shou mian, are special because they are longer and are given to you still connected into one bundle. Their length is taken to mean a long life and should not be broken under any circumstances. Elders and people wanting good health in the future often eat them, as these noodles are stir-fried or served in soup. Just remember: slurp gently, don’t bite through!
4. Glutinous Rice Cake (Nian Gao) is a classic on Chinese New Year.
Nian gao is a sweet rice cake known to bring good fortune, especially increasing success. The name is pronounced as “year higher,” which symbolizes progress in career, education or finances. Most of the time, it’s cooked by steaming and presented as is, but you can also slice it, add some oil and pan-fry it instead. Anyone looking for growth in the coming year needs to try sweet and chewy nian gao.
5. Spring Rolls – Gold Bars and Good Luck
Thanks to their golden and crispy texture, Spring Rolls are seen as a sign of financial success. The most common filling is cabbage, pork or vegetables and they’re made crunchy by deep-frying. Jiangsu and Guangdong are places in the south where people most often enjoy eating spring rolls during Spring Festival. Hot and golden miniature pancakes are called by some a “spring filled with wealth.”
6. Sweet Rice Balls (Tangyuan) – Family Unity
Often, tangyuan are made of sticky rice, stuffed with black sesame paste or peanut butter and cooked in a warm sweet soup. Because donuts are round, they represent togetherness and harmony, so they are a treasured dessert at family celebrations. While the Lantern Festival is the most famous time for these dishes, lots of families savor them all through the New Year to strengthen their relationships.
7. Prosperity Toss Salad (Yu Sheng) – Wealth and Togetherness
During ren ri in Singapore and Malaysia, yu sheng is popular and consists of raw fish mixed with lots of colorful vegetables. Carrots stand for good luck, radish is for good health and raw fish brings abundance. Everyone shouting auspicious words and tossing the salad allows its good luck to improve. It makes welcoming wealth and unity a fun and interactive activity.
8. Steamed Chicken – Rebirth and Family
To eat steamed chicken, still with the head and feet, means being with your family and embracing new life. In most Chinese homes, chicken will be given to ancestors as part of a ritual before serving the family. Wishing for a good start in the year, it is common to serve the chicken whole. Chicken is sometimes used to represent phoenix energy which stands for new dawn and balance.
9. Braised Shiitake with Xiao Bai Cai – Longevity
In this dish, fat choy or braised shiitake mushrooms, are used alongside a black moss called fat choy which is also called hair vegetable and sounds like get rich in Cantonese. Normally, sea cucumbers and oysters come with dried vegetables which helps round out the meal. Peppery, tsiregi is not its only characteristic; it’s also a symbol of wealth, perfect for anyone wanting a happy financial year ahead.
10. Turnip Cake (Luo Bo Gao) – Rising Fortune
Turnip cake, luo bo gao, contains radish, rice flour and rich ingredients such as Chinese sausage or dried shrimp. Though humble in appearance, it holds powerful meaning. Radish (cai tou) sounds like “good fortune,” and the steaming process stands for rising, much like a person developing. When pan-fried, the dish is tasty and a healthy choice to start off the year.
A Feast of Meaning and Tradition
These meals help fill our hearts with hope, joy and good things. Each bite is a wish. Each meal is a ritual. The crisp spring rolls and sweet and sticky nian gao found at Chinese New Year indicate generosity, respect for history and hope in the future. Learning about the meaning of the food can enhance both your hosting and your attendance at Holi festivals.
Who can say Chinese New Year is over when you haven’t had any snacks between meals! Having pineapple tarts, love letters, almond cookies and similar treats makes every gathering even sweeter.
For all your festive favorite treats, head to CNYDelights.com and look through our wide variety of delicious CNY Goodies to give as gifts, enjoy while snacking and share for any celebration.