Chinese New Years Lucky Foods

2015 is the year of the Sheep and begins on February 19, 2015 and ends on February 7th, 2016. The New Years celebrations go on for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival on March, 5, 2015.

Food traditions are very important during the Chinese New Year.  Having large meals means family togetherness.  Typical dishes include fruits, dumplings and roasting nuts. Fish dishes are also normally served because fish symbolizes hope for having a wealthy and prosperous new year ahead.  When visiting family and friends during Chinese new year, one must greet each other with auspicious sayings such as ‘xin nian kuai le’ (happy new year), ‘gong xi fa cai’ (blessings of wealth and prosperity), and ‘shen ti jian kang’ (may you have good health).

Some of the other Chinese New Years Lucky foods include:

Chinese new year candy box:  also known as a tray of togetherness or prosperity box is usually a round platter with eight compartments filled with interesting variety of snacks, to share with family and friends. Each of the eight items in the tray of togetherness has symbolic meaning meant to insure a prosperous new year. For example, coconut is for togetherness, kumquats for prosperity and red melon seeds for happiness.

Yu sheng is a must-have for Chinese families every New Year. It is a Teochew-style raw fish salad and symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigour. It is believed that the height of the toss reflects the height of the diner’s growth in fortunes, thus diners are expected to toss enthusiastically.

Long noodles:  Long, uncut cooked noodles, such as Soba are eaten without chewing to represent a long life.

Seafood:  Fish is served whole with head and tail, symbolizing the end of one year and the beginning of another.  Catfish, mud carp and crucian carp are popular fish dishes.  When set down on the table, the head of the fish should be placed towards the family elder or head of household representing respect.  Then the two people at the head and tail of the fish should drink together for luck.  The person at the head of the fish should be the first one to serve himself or herself.  Shrimp and prawns symbolize happiness and good fortune.

JiaoZi:  For the Chinese New Year, Dumplings (jiao zi), are considered lucky because their shape resemble the silver ingots used as currency during the Ming Dynasty. Popular fillings include minced pork, diced chicken, shrimp or beef and vegetables.  Tradition is for the family to make the dumplings together, and then eaten at midnight. Some hide a coin in one of the dumplings and whoever gets the coin will have extra luck in the coming year. Eat up as it is thought that the more dumplings you eat the more money you will make in the new year.

Nian Gao:  This is a steamed fruit cake that is made from glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and oil. It is usually offered to the kitchen god so that he will take back a favorable report before returning to heaven at the start of the new year. You can also bake the vs. steaming.   The stickiness of the cake symbolizes binding the family together for the new year.

Bakkwa: A popular dish eaten during the New Year celebration because of it’s lucky red color, bakkwa is a salty and sweet dried meat similar to jerky and are usually made of pork. Treated as a delicacy, it is a popular gift to give and receive during New Year festivities.

Black moss seaweed signifies wealth and good fortune. You can use it in soups, vegetarian dishes and as a garnish.

Eight Treasures Rice:  Dating as far back as 1123 BC this rice pudding is sticky and sweet and often eaten on New Years.  It features 8 dried fruits and nuts, hence the name.  The 8 items often used are red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, dates, pine nuts, raisins, dried apricot and pistachios combined with glutinous rice, sweetened bean paste, lard or oil and sugar. You can use different items if you wish, but stick with 8 as that is a lucky number in China.

Citrus Fruit:  Pomelo is a large citrus fruit thought to bring continuous prosperity in the new year.  Many also eat tangerines and oranges because of their golden color also thought to represent prosperity in the new year.  In Malaysia and Singapore, the 15th day of Chinese New Year is celebrated by individuals seeking for a love partner. Single women would write their contact number on mandarin oranges and throw them in a river or a lake while a single man would collect them and eat the oranges. The taste is an indication of their possible love: sweet represents a good fate while sour represents a bad fate!!!

Duck symbolizes fidelity. Like fish, it is served whole, representing the end of a year and the beginning of another, but also because some believe that slicing or cutting can represent negative things, like the severing of family ties.

Some traditions/superstitions also include cleaning your house prior to the New Year, but no cleaning the day of the Chinese New Year or you while wipe away good lucky.  Don’t use knives or sharp objects on new years as you will cut through the luck. Set off fireworks to ward off evil spirits.  Give red envelopes with money to children to keep the children healthy and living long.  Decorate your home with red lanterns and wear red. Red represents fortune and good luck.

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