Here's How to Ring in Year of the Snake
Chinese New Year is all about family and togetherness. Along with other cultural traditions, such as handing out red envelopes, the dishes served up during this lively celebration are meant to symbolize good fortune and prosperity while blessing each other with luck. From steamed fish to mandarin oranges, here are 20 festive foods to ring in the Year of the Snake.
1. Steamed Fish
Whole steamed fish, like bass or tilapia, is always served to ring in the Lunar New Year. This is because the Chinese for fish, yu, is similar to one of the lucky sayings exchanged during festive greetings to bring in prosperity and wealth: nian nian you yu, meaning "hope you have abundance (in money) year after year."
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2. Apples
Apples, or ping guo in Chinese, are meant to symbolize peace and safety since they sound similar to the word for "peaceful"—ping an. Before the big day, set a few shiny reds on your countertop or dinner table to guarantee a lucky new year.
3. Dumplings
Dumplings are also meant to bring in prosperity, so it's tradition to eat as many as possible during the Spring Festival, where it's widely believed the more you eat, the wealthier you become. Why dumplings of all foods? Because they resemble the shape and appearance of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots.
4. Glutinous Rice Balls
These sweet, sticky rice balls—tang yuan in Chinese—are often served deep-fried or in hot broth or syrup. Soft and bouncy in texture with a peanut, sesame paste, or red bean filling, their round shape symbolizes unity, family, and good fortune.
5. Year Cake
Glutinous year cake, or nian gao, is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year as it sounds similar to "year high" or "tall," and is meant to bring growth and improvement heading into the year. While it can be savory, nian gao is typically served sweet and sometimes with jujube on top.
6. Turnip Cake
Turnip or radish cake—lo bak go in Chinese—is a dim sum favorite of many, but it's also customarily eaten during Lunar New Year. Made with rice flour, shredded daikon radish, and savory bits of cured meat, dried shrimp, and more, this delicious dish is meant to rake in luck and fortune.
7. Longevity Noodles
Regular noodles already seem long enough when slurping up from a steaming bowl, but longevity noodles—chang shou mian—challenge the record. Meant to symbolize and bring in a lucky, long life, these noodles can measure up to two feet long in Northern China.
8. Spring Rolls
Crispy, golden, and glorious, chun juan are the perfect snack to plate up to celebrate Chinese New Year. They're aptly named "spring rolls" as they're meant to be eaten during the Spring Festival, and feature a crunchy, thin wheat-flour exterior, stuffed with vegetables or ground meat. As they resemble bars of gold, they're eaten to bring in wealth.
9. Whole Chicken
Much like steamed fish, chicken is another must on the dinner table during Chinese New Year. It's crucial to serve it whole—head, feet, and all—as it symbolizes unity, reunion, and togetherness. It's also believed that eating the feet could help you "latch" onto wealth and fortune.
10. Hot Pot
Just as you might eat hot pot to warm up during the colder seasons, the same sentiment is followed for Chinese New Year. A bubbling, flavorful broth placed at the center of the table, with various types of meat and vegetables to dunk in, hot pot is typically enjoyed in large gatherings, symbolizing unity, family, and the sharing of blessings.
11. Shrimp
The word for shrimp in Cantonese sounds a lot like laughter—ha. This is why it's a staple dish to serve during the Spring Festival, as eating more shrimp means bringing more happiness, liveliness, fortune, and laughter into your life.
12. Scallion Pancakes
Scallion pancakes, or chong yau bing in Chinese, are crispy, flaky, savory crepes loaded with green onion bits. Scallions symbolize the beginning of spring, which is why these street-snack favorites make such a significant appearance during Lunar New Year.
13. Eggplant
Even if you're not a fan of eggplant (qie zi), don't knock it until you try the Chinese variation. Longer and thinner than your traditional bulbous eggplant, there are many ways to cook up a delicious plate using this purple vegetable. Because of its similarity to the hat Chinese officials wear, gifting it means wishing the receiver secures a higher position.
14. Pork
From lion's head meatballs to sweet and sour niblets, pork is another staple dish that's served during Chinese New Year. No matter how they're prepared, they're meant to symbolize many things, from wealth and prosperity, to good fortune and family unity.
15. Mandarin Oranges
Mandarin oranges, or gut in Cantonese, sound similar to another greeting that's exchanged during Chinese New Year, which is dai gut dai lei—meaning "great luck and prosperity." Because of their meaning, they're often gifted during the Spring Festival as a thoughtful gesture.
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16. Eight Treasure Rice
This unique rice pudding—ba bao fan in Chinese—is stuffed with dried fruits, nuts, and red bean paste, creating a sticky, flavorful, and aromatic dish. Why is it called Eight Treasure Rice and what is its significance? Well, that's because eight symbolizes good luck and prosperity, which is why you'll often find eight total dishes set out during family meals.
17. Buddha's Delight
Buddha's Delight, or luo han zhai in Chinese, is a dish rooted in—you guessed it—Buddhism and monk culture. It typically consists of an array of vegetables, ranging from napa cabbage to lotus root, along with fried tofu squares, bean thread noodles, and wood ear. Traditionally eaten on the first day of Chinese New Year, this dish is meant as a form of self-purification.
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18. Sesame Balls
Flaky and chewy, freckled with sesame seeds, these glutinous rice flour balls are a delightful treat to snack on during Chinese New Year. Because they balloon up and expand as they're fried, they symbolize never-ending luck and fortune.
19. Almond Cookies
You might think it odd that almond cookies are a festive food eaten during Chinese New Year, but there's a simple reason: because they resemble gold coins. Don't be afraid to take more than one—the more you eat, the greater chance of fortune and wealth coming your way.
20. Lucky Candy
If you've ever had lucky candy, you'll know their sweet, strawberry-cream taste that, when chewed, sticks to your teeth. Addictive as they are, they're often handed out during Chinese New Year for good luck, and sometimes given with red envelopes.
