Happy New Year, everybody! The celebration continues this month with another feasting festival, Chinese New Year! Well, what are we really going to eat during the celebration? Often, dishes with homonyms are gladly eaten for their symbolic meaning, and it’s not hard to guess based on their pronunciations or appearances. We are sure you have eaten some of these 6 finger food during Chinese New Year that might contributed to your expanding waist LOL. Kidding.
Dumplings
Traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year Eve for
the past 1,800 years, dumplings are normally minced meat and finely-chopped vegetables wraps. The dumplings’ shapes resemble yuan
bao (Ming dynasty era coins) so they come to represent money and wealth. Boiled,
steamed or fried, it is believed the more you cook and eat dumplings, the more
money you will make in the New Year.
As the name suggests, spring rolls are
traditionally a Cantonese dim sum eaten during the Spring Festival. Now a
popular Chinese New Year appetizer, these cylindrical-shaped rolls of vegetables or meats, when cooked
to golden perfection, are said to resemble gold bars which means wealth.
Nian gao
Made of glutinous rice flour, sugar, Chinese dates,
lotus leaves, chestnuts and sugar, nian gao garners a rise and improvement in
career, study, or life. Literally means “sticky cake”, this sweet Chinese New
Year dessert is a homonym to wish people "getting higher year by year".
Turnip cakes
Familiarly called luo buo gao, steamed or fried
turnip cakes are the must-have dim sum delight for Cantonese people during
Chinese New Year. Made from radish, turnip cakes are associated with the phrase
hao cai tao (好彩頭), to indicate prosperity and growing fortunes.
Tang yuan
Yes, Chinese people not only eating tang yuan
during China’s Lantern Festival, but in Chinese New Year too. The pronunciation
and round shape of tang yuan are an easy indication of reunion and being
together. Modern tang yuan tends to be sweet, containing
sesame, red bean paste, peanuts and others.
Tang yuan is associated with to gather and reunite |
Noodles
It is usually called "longevity noodles" during Chinese New Year |
Tangerines
Tangerines with leaves are good as they represent longevity too |
Pomelos
Source: allparenting, blog2.shopper, blog.jetbay, blog.scoopon,
cn2.daydaycook, deliveryhero, huffingtonpost, kuali, thedumplingmama
Aside from the delectable tastes, Chinese New Year traditional food are all about homonyms which resembles auspicious meanings. After all, who doesn't love to ring in the year with good luck? But perhaps, you can double down the tradition and luck with a fortunate gold pendant that matches you?
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