Westerners can't help but enjoy the new year, while Chinese people pay attention to the reunion of family and friends and enjoy traditional food. How can we have a happy and prosperous year of good fortune? Here, three gourmets, Fuxia & middot; Dunlop, the author of shark's fin and pepper, Doris & middot; Lin, the director of catering arts club, and rosemary & middot; Gong, the author of life of red luck, will come to you in detail.
1. Tangerines and oranges
Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck.'It’s good if they have leaves,' adds Lum, 'because leaves symbolize longevity.' But don’t group them in fours, because, Dunlop says, this number is associated with death.
It can bring wealth and good luck to put and eat oranges in Spring Festival. Members of the Chinese culture center in San Francisco told us that in Chinese, 'Jin' and 'Orange' are homophonic, and 'orange Qi' refers to 'good luck', so there is a tradition of eating Fuju. 'you'd better take leaves with you. 'Doris & middot; Lin added,' because leaves symbolize longevity '. Dunlop reminded us not to put the tangerine in four, because the number 4 in Chinese is nearly 'dead'.
2. Long noodles
If noodles are served, then 'keep them as long as possible for long life,' says Lum.
In making noodles during the Spring Festival, 'try to make them as long as possible, which means longevity,' Lin said.
3. The tray of togetherness
Put out for visiting relatives to snack on, or given as a gift, the eight ('a traditionally symbolic lucky number,' explains Dunlop) compartments of the tray are filled with things such as preserved kumquats for prosperity, coconut for togetherness, longans to bring many sons, and red melon seeds for happiness.
During the Spring Festival, families will prepare eight treasure boxes, which can be used as snacks or gifts. The eight treasure box is divided into eight squares (Dunlop explained: '8 is an auspicious number. ', respectively with a symbol of wealth of kumquat, a symbol of reunion of coconut, a symbol of many children and grandchildren of longan, a symbol of red melon seeds, and so on.
4. Nian Gao rice cake
'Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high,' says Dunlop. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. The steamed sweets are made of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and oil. Some versions have white sesame seeds, red dates, or nuts in them (the dates are said to bring 'early prosperity,' writes Gong in Good Luck Life). If you want to try your hand at making nian gao, here\'s our recipe. Chowhounds also have some tips.
"Rice cake is a kind of pasta, but the homonym of & lsquo; cake & rsquo; and & lsquo; high & rsquo; means a lot," Dunlop said. Therefore, the New Year cake is given the meaning of rising every year. It is made of glutinous rice, brown sugar and edible oil. Sometimes people add sesame seeds, dates or nuts (rosemary & middlepot; Gong wrote in "life of the Red Cross" that dates are said to give people early blessings). If you want to make rice cake, our website（ chowhound.com ）There are recipes and cooking tips.
5. Pomelo
This large citrus fruit is popular, writes Gong, because it is thought to bring 'continuous prosperity and status.' The tradition comes from the way the Cantonese phrase for pomelo sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status, explains Lum.
Pomelo is very popular during the Spring Festival, Gong wrote, because the Chinese believe it symbolizes' widespread wealth and fame '. Lin explained that Cantonese call "Grapefruit" Lu grapefruit "and auspiciousness comes from it.
6. Jai vegetarian food
This vegetarian dish is eaten because it’s 'part of the Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables,' says Lum. It’s also packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for longevity; lily buds to 'send 100 years of harmonious union'; Chinese black mushrooms to 'fulfill wishes from east to west'; and more. Try our recipe.
During the Spring Festival, there is also a vegetarian tradition. "Buddhism believes that fasting can purify itself," Lin explained. Gong also wrote in the book that when making vegetarian dishes, you need to make a festive selection of materials. For example, Undaria stands for prosperity, lotus seed stands for many children and grandchildren, noodles for longevity, Lily stands for "a happy one in a hundred years", mushroom stands for "all the best", and so on. Try our recipe.
7. Long leafy greens and long beans
Gong writes that leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are 'served whole to wish a long life for parents.'
Gong wrote in "life in red luck" that cooking green leaves and seasonal vegetables, such as kale, during the Spring Festival is a good hope for their children's' long life '.
8. Whole fish
The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance, says Lum. It’s important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact, writes Gong, 'to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year.'
In Chinese, 'fish' and 'Yu' are homophones, Lin explained. When eating fish in Spring Festival, you have to eat a whole fish head and tail. "In this way, we can ensure that all the year round there will be no bad luck," the book said.
9. Sweets
Serving desserts brings a sweet life in the new year. Gong writes that a childhood favorite was the flaky cookie pockets called gok jai, filled with peanuts, coconut, and sesame.
Eating sweets during the Spring Festival means sweet and honey in the new year. In the book, Gong recorded his favorite dessert as a child, the pastry, which tastes crispy with peanuts, coconut slices and sesame seeds.
Yuanbao (Jiaozi)
'In North China, everyone eats the jiaozi dumplings,' says Dunlop. 'Families will make a dough and wrap it around pork and cabbage, and boil [the dumplings], then serve them with vinegar and soy sauce. You can wrap them in the shape of an old silver ingot.' Gong writes that during New Year celebrations jiaozi are called yuanbao, a reference to the ancient, ingot-shaped Chinese currency, and that eating them is said to bring prosperity. While making them, families sometimes tuck added good-luck foods like peanuts (to bring long life) into some of them.
'people in northern China have to eat dumplings for the new year. 'every family has to make cabbage and pork dumplings, cook them in the pot and dip them in vinegar and soy sauce,' Dunlop said. Moreover, dumplings are often wrapped in the shape of Yuanbao. 'gongze further explains in the book that Yuanbao is the currency of ancient China. Every Spring Festival, Chinese people call dumplings Yuanbao. Therefore, eating dumplings means that the next year's financial resources will expand. In addition, many people will wrap some dumplings with other auspicious food, such as peanuts, which means longevity.