From appetizers to dessert, these recipes all feature foods that are considered to be lucky in Chinese culture. They are especially popular during the Chinese New Year season, but you can enjoy them all year long!
Chinese New Year Recipes:
JiaoziThese round dumplings signify family reunion. In northern China families traditionally spend New Year's Eve together preparing the dumplings, which are eaten at midnight. One lucky person may find a gold coin inside! Crescent-shaped Jiaozi are a symbol of wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese money (silver ingots).
Spring Rolls, Egg Rolls and Clam SyceeAll of these appetizers resemble gold or silver bullion and symbolize wealth.
Lettuce WrapsThe Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is common to serve lettuce wraps filled with other lucky food. To turn this into an even more symbolic dish, substitute dried oysters for the chicken meat (dried oyster sounds like the word for "good").
Lion's Head MeatballsA visually appealing dish from Shanghai consisting of oversized meatballs with bok choy "manes." The lion represents power and strength in Chinese culture, while the oversized meatballs symbolize family reunion.
Peking DuckDuck symbolizes fidelity in Chinese culture.
Sweet and Sour PorkIn "Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen," Grace Young notes that this dish is popular with families hoping for a lot of grandchildren, as the Cantonese word for "sour" sounds like the word for grandchild.
Steamed Whole FishThe word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance, and serving a fish at the end of the meal symbolizes a wish for abundance in the coming year
Longevity NoodlesBe sure not to cut them!
Jai - Buddhist New Year's Day Vegetarian DishAlso known as Buddha's Delight, this popular New Year's day dish is loaded with symbolism. It is a Buddhist tradition that no animal or fish should be killed on the first day of the lunar year. Vegetables are considered to be purifying, and many of the ingredients in this dish, from lily buds to fungus, have their own special significance. This article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin includes two restaurant versions of the dish.
White Cut ChickenServing a whole chicken symbolizes wholeness and prosperity.
Tea Eggs - eggs have a special symbolic significance in China, as they symbolize fertility. Flowering Chives Stir-fry Chinese garlic chives symbolize eternity. Eight Precious PuddingEight is a considered to be a lucky number because the Chinese word for eight sounds like "fortune."
Cakes
Cakes have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations.Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.
Sticky Cake (Neen Gow, Nian Gow)According to custom, this steamed fruitcake is fed to the Chinese Kitchen God so that he will report favorably on a family's behavior when he returns to heaven before the start of the New Year.
Baked Neen GowFor those of you who are uncomfortable with steaming, in this recipe the cake is baked. For extra help, here are photo instructions to make Baked Nian Gao.
Turnip CakeAnother cake traditionally enjoyed during the New Year season.
And a special dish for the seventh day of the Chinese New Year Season...Chinese New Year Salad (Yu Sheng) - Also known as Lo Hei, this dish is traditionally served on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, which the Chinese celebrate as "everyone's birthday." The higher you toss the salad, the greater your luck and prosperity in the New Year!
*If you visit an Asian supermarket during the Chinese New Year season, don't be surprised to abundance of red and gold decorations. Gold is a symbol of power, while red symbolizes happiness.
Note: In the recipes, TB = 1 tablespoon (or 15 ml for European readers) and tsp = 1 teaspoonGung Hay Fat Choy!
(Peace and Prosperity!)
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