If you are planning your Chinese New Year feast, you might be wondering just what foods you should serve.
While it is important to look for delicious recipes that will satisfy your guests, you should also be mindful of the symbolism of each dish you choose.
As with all cultures, some dishes are considered lucky, bringing health, happiness, and fortune in the new year.
Other dishes, however, could put quite the damper on your New Year’s festivities as they are thought to bring bad luck.
To help you with your menu planning, here are a few dishes you can serve that will keep you in the clear.
Whole Chicken
Chicken is a universally enjoyed meat, but you cannot serve it in just any manner; it is very important that the chicken is served whole for the Chinese
New Year.
Why? It symbolizes unity and family togetherness.
Noodles
As you plan your meal, be certain to include a noodle dish.
However, just as with the chicken, you cannot just serve any noodle in any way you wish.
Long noodles are required as they symbolize a long life.
And whatever you do, do not cut them as it is believed to bring bad luck by cutting the long life short.
Clams and Spring Rolls
These two items are thought to bring great wealth.
Claims have an appearance similar to prized bouillon.
Spring rolls are consumed due to their shape which is thought to mimic that of gold bars.
Unlike chicken and noodles, there isn’t a rule specifying how to serve them, so get as creative as you dare.
Lettuce
The luck of lettuce comes from the sound of the word in Cantonese as it is similar to the word that means rising fortune.
A great way to use it is in lettuce wraps as you can stuff the wraps with other lucky foods, making the coming year quite prosperous.
Tangerines
Similar to lettuce, the word for tangerine also sounds similar to lucky words.
Specifically those for luck and wealth.
Fish
Still, in the vein of similar words, the word for fish sounds like two lucky words—wish and abundance.
The time to serve the fish is as the meal comes to an end, sending off a wish for abundance and prosperity in the new year.
To make the meal even more symbolic, serve the fish whole.
The head and tail symbolize the beginning and end of the new year, filling it with wonderful things.
Cake
Cakes are loaded with symbolism for the Chinese New Year.
The rich and sweet flavour symbolizes a wealthy and sweet year.
The cakes you serve should be layered cakes, symbolizing a life that is deep and abundant.
Finally, keep them round in order to symbolize the unity of the family.
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