7 Chinese New Year Foods that will Bring You Good Luck
Mention Chinese New Year food, dumplings, fish, glutinous rice balls, and niangao may come into mind. Food plays an important role in Chinese New Year and certain foods which have symbolic meanings of luck and auspiciousness are especially popular and essential during the festival. Here are 7 Chinese New Year Foods that will bring you good luck. Every dish has its symbolism deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and expresses people's good wishes for a new year.
1
Chinese New Year Dumplings – Wealth
The dumpling is a traditional lucky food in China and enjoys worldwide popularity now. With a history of 1,800 years, it is not only a staple food of people in Northern China, but also an essential dish in various festivals, especially in Chinese New Year.Dumplings are often eaten on the New Year’s Eve for its Chinese name ‘jiaozi’ has a meaning of changing of years.
Flavor: salty Cooking Methods: boil or steam Meanings:– symbol of wealth for its shape like an ancient Chinese gold ingot.
– Lucky coins will be hidden in dumplings and someone who discovers them can get the best of luck and great wealth in the coming year.
Different fillings of dumplings have different meanings:– Celery, qincai in Chinese, means hardworking leads to wealthy life.
– Leek, jiucai in Chinese, means everlasting affluence.
– Cabbage, baicai in Chinese, refers to a hundred ways of making a fortune.
2
Chinese New Year Fish – Surplus & Fortune
Referring to the Chinese New Year food ideas, fish is an indispensable dish on the reunion dinner.Fish has its Chinese pronunciation as ‘Yu’, which means surplus and fortune. So there is a blessing speech as ‘Nian Nian You Yu’ in Chinese which means that ‘May you have surpluses and bountiful harvests every year.’ What’s more, in ancient China, fish was also regarded having a function of exorcising.
Flavor: salty Cooking Methods: steam or braise Different kinds of fish represent different meanings:– Chinese mud carp: Its Chinese name ‘li’ means gifts, so eating it can bring people good luck and blessing.
– Crucian carp: Its Chinese name ‘ji’ means very good fortune.
– Catfish: The Chinese name is ‘nianyu’, literally meaning 'year surplus' and standing for a rich life.
Some rules of eating fish in Chinese New Year:1. Don’t turn over the fish after you have finished eating one side. In Chinese culture, it means unlucky.
2. To show respect, the head of fish needs to be placed toward elders or distinguished guests.
3. In southern China, some people just eat the middle part of the fish on the New Year Eve, leaving the head and tail to the next day to symbolize completeness.
Learn to Make:Steamed Perch
Braised Pomfret
West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy
3
Glutinous Rice Balls (Tangyuan or Yuanxiao) – Family Reunion
Glutinous Rice Balls, aka Tangyuan and Yuanxiao, is a lucky food during the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Festival). However, in many places of Southern China, it is also a Chinese New Year food. Unlike dumplings, the dough of Tangyuan is made by glutinous rice powder with the stuffing such as bean paste, brown sugar and all kinds of fruits and nuts. There are two kinds of Glutinous Rice Balls:– Tangyuan in south China: Make the wrappers first, fill in the stuffing, and then knead them into balls.
– Yuanxiao in north China: Filling is divided into small balls first, and put into a sifter with flour. Shake the sifter to let the flour stick onto the balls.
Flavor: sweet Cooking Method: boil Meaning: The round shape represents completeness and family reunion.4
Chinese New Year Noodles – Longevity
There is no doubt that Longevity noodles are a special food for Chinese New Year. They are usually eaten on important festivals or one’s birthday, especially for old people. Eating longevity noodles in the New Year symbolizes that everything is going to be smooth in the coming year. Flavor: salty; some sour and spicy Cooking Method: boil Tip: The longevity noodle is made by one single and continuous noodle. You must eat it from the beginning to the end and don’t break it while eating, or the good wish will be broken. Learn to Make:Hand-made Noodles
Noodles with Tomato Egg Sauce
5
Wontons – Wealth and Treasure
Wonton is also a kind of lucky dish you can find in the Chinese New Year food list. Like dumplings, Wontons are popular during the Chinese New Year because of the shape, which is like a Chinese silver ingot. Flavor: salty Cooking Method: boil Meaning: People believe that eating wontons can bring wealth and treasure. On the other hand, Wonton in Chinese has similar pronunciation with “Hundun”, which means the beginning. Eating Wontons in the New Year symbolize a wish of a good start.6
Spring Rolls – Wealth and Fresh Start
It is obvious to see from the name Spring Rolls that it is a food to welcome the spring so it’s very common to enjoy them during the Spring Festival.Fresh vegetables or ingredients in spring time are wrapped inside and people eat it to welcome a new spring. Now it has also become a dessert in some places in the reunion dinner.
Flavor: both sweet and salty Cooking Method: fry Meaning: The golden appearance shows the wealth and treasure, which also means a fresh start.7
Glutinous Rice Cake (Niangao)– Rise in Career and Salary
As one of the traditional Chinese New Year foods, Glutinous Rice Cake with a history of 1,500 years was originally used to worship the gods and ancestors.Widely eaten in different parts of China, it is made of glutinous rice powder but varies in ingredients and flavors – jujube Niangao and white Niangao in Beijing, yellow rice cake in Shanxi, water mill rice cake in Ningbo, Guangdong Niangao with brown sugar, and fried Niangao with ribs in Shanghai.
Flavor: both sweet and salty Cooking Method: steam, fry, boil for soup Meaning: The Chinese pronunciation of the Cake, Niangao, has a homophonous meaning of ‘increasing prosperity year after year’, which gives people new hope of a rising performance in career and study.You May Like
- Last updated on Jan. 27, 2023 -
Questions & Answers on 7 Chinese New Year Foods that will Bring You Good Luck
Asked by janet from UNITED STATES | Jan. 20, 2023 08:38
Reply
Replywhat are some things people do to prepare for and to welcome in the chinese new year
Answers (1)
Answered by Lisa | Jan. 27, 2023 20:01
0
0Reply
00ReplyThey clean the house, prepare delicious food, buy new clothes...
Asked by Bill from USA | Jan. 22, 2022 02:41Reply
ReplyWhat is the animal for the year 2022?
Answers (1)
Answered by maia | Jan. 27, 2022 22:5300Reply
00Replytiger
Asked by Susanna from USA | Jan. 31, 2020 06:19Reply
ReplyWhat are some things people do to prepare for and welcome in the Chinese New Year?
Answers (2)
Answered by Jennifer from AUSTRALIA | Jan. 31, 2020 15:4700Reply
00Reply1. Generally, a thorough sweeping of the house forebodes the beginning of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
2. Since Since Chinese New Year is quite significant for Chinese, no matter how far a person is, they will always try to return home regardless of how far they must travelling and other problems they are experiencing.
3. On the morning of the New Year’s Eve, people sweep the tombs of their ancestors, and then return home to do the last decorations for their house.
4. When they finish pasting the Spring Festival couplets and hanging the red lanterns, it’s time for the grandest Chinese New Year celebration – the family reunion dinner, the most sumptuous banquet of the year, with various delicious and lucky dishes, and of course the Chinese dumplings.
5. At 8:00 pm, every TV set will be tuned to CCTV's New Year Gala, and the sounds of firecrackers at midnight highlights the festival night.
Hope helpful!
2. Since Since Chinese New Year is quite significant for Chinese, no matter how far a person is, they will always try to return home regardless of how far they must travelling and other problems they are experiencing.
3. On the morning of the New Year’s Eve, people sweep the tombs of their ancestors, and then return home to do the last decorations for their house.
4. When they finish pasting the Spring Festival couplets and hanging the red lanterns, it’s time for the grandest Chinese New Year celebration – the family reunion dinner, the most sumptuous banquet of the year, with various delicious and lucky dishes, and of course the Chinese dumplings.
5. At 8:00 pm, every TV set will be tuned to CCTV's New Year Gala, and the sounds of firecrackers at midnight highlights the festival night.
Hope helpful!
Answered by outfit from FRANCE | Feb. 12, 2020 17:5800Reply
00ReplyYes I like that
Asked by Olive from CANADA | May. 09, 2017 13:23Reply
ReplyHow much money should be in the red packet?
I want to know how much to give.
Answers (1)
Answered by Taylor from AUSTRALIA | May. 10, 2017 01:0132Reply
32ReplyWell, actually, there are no set answers to this question and individuals decide according to their financial status. Hereunder are common examples for your reference:
Relative's kids: RMB 200 - 1,000
Other acquaintances' children: RMB 50 - 100
Parents and grandparents: RMB 500 - 2,000
Elder relatives: RMB 300 - 1,000
Employees: RMB 50 - 500
Hope helpful!
Relative's kids: RMB 200 - 1,000
Other acquaintances' children: RMB 50 - 100
Parents and grandparents: RMB 500 - 2,000
Elder relatives: RMB 300 - 1,000
Employees: RMB 50 - 500
Hope helpful!