Health, Wealth, and Prosperity: 8 Chinese New Year Foods
Lunar New Year celebrations have already begun to ring in the Year of the Monkey and, with them, a buffet of culinary delights. If you've been lucky enough to partake in a traditional Chinese New Year feast, then you also may have learned the significance behind each dish. Otherwise, here's a look at common Chinese foods eaten during the New Year and what they represent.
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Jin Ju
During Lunar New Year, tangerines are handed out like candy on Halloween. The word for tangerine (jin ju) sounds like the word for luck.
Jiaozi
You might know them from takeout menus as dumplings or pot stickers, but jiaozi are a staple of Lunar New Year meals. These little meat purses resemble Ming Dynasty-era coins, so they have come to represent money and prosperity.
Tea Eggs
Tea eggs are simmered in a savory soy sauce broth and cracked halfway through cooking so that the liquid can infuse the egg. They symbolize fertility, so couples hoping for children will often incorporate them into a symbolic New Year's feast.
Fat Choy
Down a plate of Buddha's Delight, and you'll cash in on more than just a belly full of stir-fried vegetables. The Cantonese word for the dish's thin black mushrooms (fat choy) also sounds like the word for prosperity.
Whole Chicken
A whole chicken represents good things in the coming year, including family unity.
Noodles
Tradition states that you should never cut a noodle because the strands symbolize long life. Twirl and slurp them up with chopsticks to prevent breakage.
Whole Fish
A celebratory meal would not be complete without a whole fish. Keeping the head and tail intact provides a beneficial beginning and end to the New Year, especially because the word for fish (yu) also sounds like the word for abundance.
Nian Gao
Nian gao are sweet sticky-rice cakes whose name also sounds like "getting higher year by year." By noshing on nian gao, people hope to increase their prosperity.