Chinese New Year: The traditional Chinese dishes for luck and prosperity
CHINESE NEW YEAR celebrations begin today, but did you know the dishes eaten on New Year carry special significance? Here are what some of your favourite Chinese foods symbolise.
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Many of the foods eaten by Chinese families over Lunar New Year have special significance, believed to bring luck, prosperity and good fortune for the year ahead. Favourites including dumplings, noodles and spring rolls are eaten to guarantee luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
When Chinese New Year is celebrated in February, people celebrate with fireworks, feasts of food, traditional clothing and red lanterns.
Many Chinese families will gather for a New Year's Eve meal, staying up to bring in the new year.
Almost every dish on the table will have a special role in the ritual of Chinese New Year.
Here’s what traditional Chinese food items symbolise
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Dumplings - Wealth
Dumplings are a traditional lucky food in China, and it’s fair to say you’re going to be feeling fairly fortunate with a steaming plate of delicious dumplings in front of you.
Commonly eaten on New Year’s Eve, dumplings are thought to resemble ancient Chinese money.
Some people even hide a coin inside one dumpling, and whoever gets the dumpling with the coin inside is thought to guarantee luck and wealth for the new year.
Long Life Noodles - Longevity
Long Life or Longevity Noodles, also known as Yi Mein, are extra long noodles - sometimes up to two feet in length - to symbolise a long life ahead.
The length of the noodle is very important; they mustn’t be broken down into smaller pieces.
This staple food for Chinese New Year tends to be cooked in a simple sauce with a few greens, but is sometimes served with a dish known as Concubine Chicken.
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A whole fish - Fortune
A whole steamed fish is a common sight on the dinner table at Chinese New Year.
The fish is thought to guarantee abundance and good fortune, but there’s even more important etiquette in how the fish is served.
The head of the fish should point towards older and special guests at the dinner table, and after one side of the fish has been eaten, it should not be turned over as this could reverse the fortune.
Depending on the region, different types of fish are served: some serve sea bass whereas others choose trout.
Spring rolls - Prosperity
A favourite for many Chinese food fans, spring rolls are a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Their golden colour is thought to symbolise riches.
A whole chicken - Togetherness
A chicken roasted in tasty spices and soy sauce is served whole to symbolise togetherness, a very important part of Chinese New Year which is about bringing the whole family together.
Oranges - Wealth
Oranges are often gifted or kept around the home at the time of Chinese New Year, as the vibrant orange colour and the fullness of the fruit symbolises prosperity.