With the 2020 Chinese New Year celebration coming this weekend, the feast is also about to begin. Aside from the festivals and traditions during this Chinese big day, there are some foods that are believed to bring good luck for the coming year.
So, are you ready to get lucky? Make sure to have these lucky foods and treats for Chinese New Year celebration on your dining table for everyone to munch. Not only do the dishes matter, but the preparation, way of serving, and eating also mean a lot.
Chinese New Year Food: Top 8 Lucky Dishes to Eat
Let’s stock up your kitchen with these foods to bring on a lucky beginning this coming Chinese New Year. We’ve rounded up 8 essential foods to plate out, so keep on reading. It’d also be best to have during your CNY dinner with friends or families!
1. Dumplings
This famous Chinese food can be eaten during every occasion, but there is a good reason to serve it during the Chinese New Year. The tradition says that the more dumplings you eat during the new year, the more money you’ll have in the coming year.
Ever wondering why? Well, that’s because the shape of dumplings resembled old Inglot-shaped coins or yuan bao. Aside from that, the making and wrapping dumplings are also considered as a family bonding activity too in certain regions.
2. Fish
Often see a whole fish being served on the table during CNY dinner or celebration? Generally, fish as an auspicious symbol, associated with wishing for abundant wealth. It doesn’t matter which fish you wanna cook and how you wanna prepare; steam, fry, or bake.
However, you should keep the head and fin because it represents a good beginning and a good end for the coming year. A whole fish served in the CNY celebration is also a symbol of a harmonious and whole family.
3. Spring Rolls
Familiar with spring rolls? This food is popular during the Spring Festival, especially in several regions across East China such as Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Hong Kong.
This Cantonese rolls are usually fried and filled with vegetables, meat, or something sweet. It’s believed to bring a ton of gold, given their golden-yellow color, which means a wish for prosperity. Moreover, this dish is easy to make at home so you can serve it anytime you want!
4. Nian Gao
Chinese rice cake, commonly known as Nian Gao or New Year Cake in English, is a must-eat treat in any Chinese New Year celebration. Back then, this sticky glutinous rice or yellow rice was only served to the ancestors and Gods, but now it’s available every day throughout the year.
Nevertheless, Nian Gao is a special traditional treat during the festival. People believe that it represents a wish to be successful and higher each year. Nowadays you can find a lot of Nian Gao variations from different regions.
5. Fortune Fruits
We believe you often see oranges or other certain fruits associated with the Chinese New Year. These auspicious fruits are said to bring prosperity, wealth, and good luck. Tangerines, oranges, and peaches are some of the good fortune fruits.
Those round-shape fruits with golden in color symbolizing fullness and wealth, which also will bring good luck and fortune due to its pronunciation and writing in the Chinese language. The more you eat, the more luck will come.
6. Tangyuan
This Chinese sweetened treat is a bowl of chewy glutinous rice balls in a sweet syrup soup. It’s the main food for China’s Lantern Festival where people usually eat this throughout the Spring Festival, especially for family dinner.
The pronunciation and round shape of tangyuan are associated with reunion and being together, thus making it a must-eat treat during family gatherings. A perfect sweetness to add to your Chinese New Year celebration, right?
7. Long Noodles
This long noodle represents a wish for longevity. It’s longer than normal noodles, uncut, and can be served either fried or boiled. The length and unsevered preparation are also symbolic of the eater’s life, thus it’s always considered as a lucky food to eat during CNY.
People say that you shouldn’t try to chew the noodles as well, because the longer the noodle, the longer your life will be. So, expect a lot of slurping when you’re going to eat. You can also add vegetables and meats into the noodles like eggs, shrimp, tofu, fish, or roasted pork.
8. Yee Sang
Last but not least, we have Yee Sang or Prosperity Toss originally from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This Cantonese-style raw fish salad consists of strips of raw fish, mixed with shredded vegetables, and a variety of sauces and condiments.
If you haven’t tried yee sang before, we’d suggest you head to Malaysia as this dish is one of the most anticipated and favored foods by Malaysian Chinese during the Chinese New Year. Don’t forget to use chopsticks while shouting out your good hope for the coming year.
Celebrating the Chinese New Year Across the World
So, which food are you looking forward to eating this coming Chinese New Year? Make sure to eat these lucky foods to bring more fortune and expect an abundance of prosperity throughout the year.
You can also celebrate the festive season in these 10 exciting destinations around the world. tiket.com wishes you a great Lunar New Year, may wealth flow in, be free from worry and fear!
