{"id":773,"date":"2021-01-24T05:56:49","date_gmt":"2021-01-24T05:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/?p=773"},"modified":"2021-01-24T05:56:52","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T05:56:52","slug":"chinese-new-year-traditional-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/chinese-new-year-traditional-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese New Year Traditional Foods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chinese people have a strong family concept and always have family reunions on some important days. Family Reunion Dinner is an essential custom on New Year’s Eve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They usually enjoy a big feast this day. Dumpling and fish are must-eat Chinese New Year food during the Family Reunion Dinner on Eve. In some areas, people will put a coin inside one dumpling. The people who eat this dumpling will be thought to be a lucky guy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish is another must-have dish on the table of Eve’s dinner. But it could not be eaten out because the fish means extra things by partial tone. It represents the wish for a prosperous year with abundant and even extra wealth and luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chinese<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are more delicious and meaningful Chinese New Year foods that should be on the reunion dinner table. Let\u2019s see the full list!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dumpling (\u997a\u5b50\/Ji\u01ceozi)\u00a0 –\u00a0 Luck and Fortune\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Dumplings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Chinese folklore, eating dumplings on New Year’s Eve is a major feast. “Dumpling”, also known as “Jiaozi”, means replacing the old with the new. It is also a delicacy that must be eaten in the sense of God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word – \u997a (jiao) means “Happy Reunion” and “Auspicious Ruyi” in Chinese traditions. As a result, eating dumplings indicates that you\u2019ll have a lucky year in the coming year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, dumplings resemble ingots. Eating dumplings during New Year\u2019s Eve also has the auspicious meaning of “recruiting fortune and treasure”. Dumplings generally have various fillings with different implications.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common chives (\u97ed\u83dc\/Ji\u01d4 C\u00e0i) filling means long-term wealth. Because \u97ed\/Jiu is a homonym of\u00a0 \u4e45\/Jiu, which means long-term in Chinese, while \u83dc\/Cai\u00a0 is a homonym of \u8d22\/Cai, which means wealth in Chinese. So the combination of \u97ed\u83dc\/Ji\u01d4 C\u00e0i has a good expectation that you\u2019ll make a lot of money in your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or course, this is just a blessing saying from historical customs, not assures that you\u2019ll be rich after eating chives filling dumplings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another similar example is the meat and cabbage (\u767d\u83dc\/B\u00e1i C\u00e0i) filling. \u767d\/B\u00e1i is a homonym of \u767e\/B\u01cei, meaning hundred in Chinese. With these two words together – \u767d\u83dc=\u767e\u8d22, eating meat and cabbage filling dumplings will earn a lot in the next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish (\u9c7c\/Y\u00fa) – More than last year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Fish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fish is a must-have dish on the Chinese New Year Eve\u2019s dinner. There is a saying in Chinese tradition that there is more than last year, because \u9c7c\/Yu is a homonym of \u4f59\/Yu, which means more than last year in Chinese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to continue the good luck of having more than last year for at least two years, you\u2019ll have two options. One is to cook two fishes for Eve’s dinner, eat one of them and keep the other for the Chinese New Year\u2019s dish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you just cook one fish for Eve’s dinner, you can eat the middle but remain the head and the tail for Chinese New Year\u2019s dishes. Both have a good meaning – you\u2019ll have more than one year after the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rice cakes (\u5e74\u7cd5\/Ni\u00e1n G\u0101o) – Higher than last year\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Rice Cakes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Eating rice cakes at Eve\u2019s dinner means a higher\/better something (fortune or luck) in the next year. Every Chinese family prepares rice cakes for the Chinese New Year to celebrate this special day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u7cd5\/Gao is a homonym of \u9ad8\/Gao, which means higher in Chinese. The combination of \u5e74\u9ad8\/Ni\u00e1n G\u0101o has a propitious meaning – higher than last year.\u00a0\u00a0Chinese rice cakes are generally square-shaped with two colors – yellow and white, symbolizing gold and silver separately. Both mean to make a fortune in the new year. White rice cakes are more commonly seen in the dishes, and the stir-fried rice cakes<\/a> are really delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring Rolls (\u6625\u5377\/Ch\u016bn Ju\u01cen) – Wealth\/Million of Gold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Spring Rolls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Spring rolls are a traditional food in Chinese folk festivals, popular in all parts of China, especially in Jiangnan and other places. In southern China, dumplings are not eaten during the Spring Festival, but spring rolls and sesame tang yuan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a Cantonese dish in which people make thin dough wrappers in cylindrical-shaped rolls and fill them with vegetables, meat, or something sweet, then fry the spring rolls to give them a golden-yellow color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating spring rolls at the beginning of spring is a traditional folk custom in China, just like eating Zongzi at the Dragon Boat Festival and eating dumplings on the Lunar New Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long Life Noodles (\u957f\u5bff\u9762\/Ch\u00e1ngSh\u00f2u Mi\u00e0n) – Longevity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Long Life Noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Long life noodles are typically served at birthdays to expect a long life for the one who has that day. Actually, it\u2019s also a traditional Chinese dish of egg wheat noodles that is often served at celebrations like Chinese New Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating long life noodles on New Year Eve is to wish for a long life for up to a hundred years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ancient times, all noodles were called bing, so the noodle soup was also called tang bing at the beginning. The noodles at the beginning were not rolled or pressed, but the noodles were reconciled, torn into the pot by hand, and eaten in the north. The methods of “crow head” and “monkey ear” are similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Tang Dynasty began to use the chopping board to roll noodles, and gradually there were long noodles, short noodles, dry noodles, plain noodles, meat noodles, and noodles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tang Yuan (\u6c64\u5706\/T\u0101ng Yu\u00e1n) – Reunion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Tang Yuan<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tang Yuan is a classic Chinese dessert that is a ball of glutinous rice flour and water that has been boiled and served in a hot broth. It\u2019s more commonly seen in the South. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival, due to the name of this dish is a homophone for union (\u56e2\u5706\/tu\u00e1nyu\u00e1n). Sometimes, they will also be served as a dessert on wedding days, at family reunions, and other festivals. Nowadays, they can be eaten at any time you want to try this typical Chinese dessert.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tang Yuan can be either small or large and unfilled or filled. Generally, the small ones are unfilled but just made of glutinous rice flour and water. The larger ones will have various fillings – Sesame, black sesame, peanut, red bean, hawthorn. Black sesames filled Tang Yuan are most people\u2019s favorite for its sweet smell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicken (\u9e21\/J\u012b) – Luck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Chicken<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On New Year’s Eve, chicken is a naturally indispensable dish on a sumptuous reunion dinner table. Chicken is a homophone of auspiciousness with the word – (\u5409\/J\u00ed) in Chinese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating chicken on Eve’s dinner means that you’ll be the lucky one to make a lot of money in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pork Knuckle (\u732a\u8e44\/Zh\u016b T\u00ed)- Fortune<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Pork Knuckle<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pork knuckle means the money is at hand and you can easily get it. Eating pork knuckle has a prospective meaning that everything will go smoothly and you\u2019ll earn a lot of money without troubles. It\u2019s one of the favorite auspicious dishes in the Guangdong province for Eve\u2019s dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tofu skin (\u8150\u7af9\/F\u01d4 Zh\u00fa) – Wealth and Abundance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Tofu Skin<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tofu skin means “abundance” and is also an indispensable dish on New Year’s Eve. We all know that Tofu Skin is a derivative of soybeans. But compared with soybeans, Tofu skin is easier to be absorbed by people and has more nutritional value. Therefore, it is a good diet to eat some Tofu skin regularly, more than on Eve\u2019s dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lettuce (\u751f\u83dc\/Sh\u0113ng C\u00e0i) – Make money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Chinese
Lettuce<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lettuce is a homonym for making money for the words – \u751f\u8d22\/Sh\u0113ng C\u00e1i. It is a must-have vegetable for the New Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chinese people have a strong family concept and always have family reunions on some important days. Family Reunion Dinner is an essential custom on New Year’s Eve.  They usually enjoy a big feast this day. Dumpling and fish are must-eat Chinese New Year food during the Family Reunion Dinner on Eve. In some areas, people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itschinesezodiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}