Chinese New Year Food Traditions

Chinese New Year Food

Bringing Luck, Fortune and Longevity to Your Celebration with Chinese New Year Food Traditions
Chinese New Year food traditions are an important part of the celebrations during the holiday. Food often has symbolic meaning when they are served during the fifteen-day New Year Celebration, such as dumplings and fish. These foods are nearly always served because of their meaning and the desire to bring luck, longevity, and wealth into the home for the upcoming year.
The first new moon of the lunar New Year marks the beginning of the festivities with families gathering together to feast on a variety of vegetarian foods. Meat is not eaten on New Year’s Day in order to insure long and happy lives for all.
The main vegetarian fare consumed on New Year’s Day is called jai and each ingredient has a specific meaning. For example, lotus seeds represent a promise of many male children, black moss seaweed represents wealth, and bamboo shoots represent a wish for all to be well in the New Year. Other foods consumed throughout the two week holiday include:
* Tangerines and oranges which represent happiness and abundance. These are displayed in the home and given as hostess gifts. Giving tangerines whose stems and leaves are intact represents lasting friendship. Giving such tangerines to newlyweds represents the promise of many children.
* Candied fruit is displayed in homes as a “Tray of Togetherness” and promises a sweet New Year. After enjoying several pieces of candy the adults place red envelopes called lai see in the center of the tray. The lai see contain money and signify luck.
Each of the candied fruits has meaning. For example cumquats represent prosperity while melon represents good health.

Traditional Foods

One of the most traditional of all Chinese New Year food traditions for the New Year celebration is the dumpling, which is served in abundance during the last day of the New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival beings on the fifteenth and last day of the celebration, and is also a day when dumpling that look like Chinese money are eaten. The dumpling may be prepared the day before and stuffed with a wide variety of fillings, including nuts, bean paste, pork, vegetables, and sesame paste. There are many variations of fillings but the outer dumpling is usually made with rice flour.
Dumplings are symbolic, with many following the tradition of eating as many dumplings as possible to bring in more wealth for the new year. Whole fish is also commonly found on tables throughout the New Year celebration.
A whole fish is served to represent abundance, and families will save a portion of the fish to ensure there is abundance throughout the rest of the year. A whole chicken is also often served to symbolize togetherness and wealth.

Other customary foods include:

• Eight Treasures Rice, which is a mixture of rice, fruits and nuts
• Won Ton Soup
• Song Gao, a cake that is made from rice that is ground loosely
• Jiu Niang Tang, made from wine and a type of dumpling
• Mustard greens are often eaten on one of the last days of the celebration to cleanse the body

Good Luck and Fortune in the New Year

One of the goals of all people celebrating with Chinese New Year food traditions is to bring luck and fortune to their family. Food is often eaten because the name of the food sounds similar or the same as a lucky phrase. For example, the word abundance sounds very similar to the Chinese word for fish, so a whole fish is served during the celebration. Lettuce wraps are also very commonly served during feasts, since the word for lettuce also sounds similar to the phrase rising luck.
Of all the food traditions that are common throughout China include spring rolls, duck, pork, chicken, and soup dishes.
Noodles are also one of the most important Chinese New Year food traditions. The noodles are left long to ensure a long life, but may be seasoned with a wide range of herbs, meats, or sauces. The way that these foods are prepared and the actual dishes that are served do vary somewhat between countries in Asia and the region of the country that you are in. These foods are common in most countries that celebrate the Chinese New Year, however, even though the recipes for the foods can vary slightly.