Chinese / Lunar New Year Food Explained

The most common Chinese New Year foods

Fish - an Increase in Prosperity

Fish is one of the most typical Chinese New Year foods. In Chinese, "fish" (魚 ; Yú) sounds like surplus. People believe that having a surplus at the end of the year will lead to making more in the next year. Steamed fish is one of the most famous Chinese New Year recipes. There are several types of fish that can be eaten during this time:

Crucian carp: The first character of 'crucian carp' (鯽魚 ; jìyú) sounds like the Chinese word 吉 (jí ; good luck), so eating crucian carp is considered to bring good luck for the next year.

Chinese mud carp: The first part of the Chinese for mud carp (鯽魚 ; lǐyú) is pronounced like the word for gifts (禮 ; lǐ), symbolizing a wish for good fortune.

Catfish: The Chinese for "catfish" (鯰魚 ; niányú) sounds like 年餘 (nián yú), meaning 'year surplus', representing a wish for surplus in the year.

Dumplings - Wealth

With a history of more than 1,800 years, dumplings (餃子 ; Jiǎozi) are a classic lucky food for Lunar New Year and a traditional dish eaten on New Year's Eve. Chinese dumplings can be made to look like Chinese silver ingots, which are boat-shaped, oval, and turned up at the two ends. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the New Year. Popular fillings include minced pork, diced shrimp, fish, ground chicken, beef, and vegetables. Dumplings can be cooked by boiling, steaming, frying, or baking. On New Year's Eve, it's a tradition to eat dumplings with cabbage and radish, implying that one's skin will become fair and one's mood will become gentle.

Spring Rolls - Wealth

Spring rolls (春捲 ; Chūnjuǎn) are named because they are traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival. They are a dim sum dish consisting of cylindrical-shaped rolls filled with vegetables, meat, or something sweet. The fillings are wrapped in thin dough wrappers and then fried until they turn golden-yellow.

Sweet Rice Balls (Tangyuan) - Family Togetherness

Sweet rice balls (湯圓 ; Tāngyuán) are the main food for the Lantern Festival. The pronunciation and round shape of tangyuan are associated with reunion and togetherness.

Longevity Noodles - Happiness and Longevity

Longevity noodles (長壽麵 ; Chángshòu Miàn) symbolize a wish for longevity. They are longer than normal noodles and remain uncut, either fried and served on a plate or boiled and served in a bowl with broth.

Good Fortune Fruit - Fullness and Wealth

Certain fruits are eaten during the Chinese New Year period, such as tangerines, oranges, and pomeloes. These fruits are selected because they are particularly round and "golden" in color, symbolizing fullness and wealth. Eating and displaying tangerines and oranges is believed to bring good luck and fortune due to their pronunciation and symbolism.

Prosperity cake (Fa Gao) - Fortune 

Prosperity cake (Fa Gao, 发粿) is a steamed, cupcake-like pastry commonly enjoyed during Chinese New Year. It's also known as Fa ban (发粄) among the Hakka community. The name "Fa Gao" translates to "prosperity cake" or "fortune cake" in English. When cooked, the cake has a characteristic split top.

The name "Fa Gao" carries symbolic meanings related to prosperity and expansion. The Chinese character "fa" represents both prosperity and expansion, while "gao" means cake. This conveys the idea of the cake expanding and bringing forth prosperity and fortune.

In Hakka tradition, the split top of the Fa Gao is called "xiao," which means smiling. It is seen as a sign of incoming fortune. The bigger the split top, the better it is believed to be for one's fortune.

The cake is typically made from rice flour, leavening agents (traditionally yeast, but chemical leavening can also be used), and sugar. It is steamed on high heat until the top splits into three or four segments.

Fa Gao cakes are often dyed in bright colors such as white and pink, but they can also be turned brown by adding palm sugar for a different flavor and appearance.

New Year Cake (Nian Gao) - Higher Income or Position

Nian gao (年糕), also known as Chinese New Year's cake, is a traditional food made from glutinous rice flour. It is considered good luck to eat Nian Gao during the Chinese New Year as the name is a homonym for "higher year" or "grow every year" (年高), symbolizing a more prosperous year ahead. The traditional Nian Gao is round in shape and often decorated with auspicious characters like the character for prosperity (福) on top.

According to folklore, Nian Gao was believed to be an offering to the Kitchen God to ensure he couldn't speak ill of the human family in front of the Jade Emperor. The sticky nature of the cake was thought to stick the Kitchen God's mouth together.

Regional variations of Nian Gao

Guangdong: Sweet Nian Gao in Guangdong is dipped in egg and pan-fried. It is typically sweetened with brown sugar, resulting in a dark yellow color. The batter is poured into a cake pan and steamed until it solidifies. Once heated, the Nian Gao becomes stretchy and extremely sticky, and it is served in thick slices.

Fujian/Hokkien: In the southern region of Fujian, Nian Gao is commonly used for New Year rituals and gifts. It is made with glutinous rice and taro, usually sliced and cooked before consumption. It can also be wrapped in egg or cornstarch and fried.

Jiangnan/Shanghainese: Shanghai-style Nian Gao can be savory or sweet. It is made by mixing rice with glutinous rice powder and can be steamed, fried, sliced, or used in soups. The Shanghai variety is usually packaged as a thick, soft rod to be sliced and stir-fried or added to soup. The sweet version uses white sugar, while the almost tasteless version is enjoyed for its chewy texture.

Northern: Northern Nian Gao can be steamed or fried and is mainly sweet in taste. Different regions in the north have their own variations. For example, Beijing versions may include jujube and either glutinous rice or yellow rice, while Shanxi uses yellow rice and red bean paste or jujube paste for filling.

Nian Gao-like cakes can also be found in other countries such as Burma, Cambodia, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and Indonesia, each with their own unique preparations and flavors.