8 Chinese New Year Food Lucky Symbolism For Prosperity
Check out these 8 Chinese New Year Food with lucky symbolism for prosperity to eat during the festivities!
Malaysians eat individual food or dishes for their symbolism during the Chinese New Year.
The 16-day festival, which starts on Chinese New Year’s Eve, is believed to bring good fortune for the coming year.
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Lucky Chinese New Year Food 2023
We base the auspicious symbolism of these ingredients and Chinese New Year food on their appearance or pronunciations.
The preparations, serving, and eating of lucky foods play an essential role in Chinese households in Malaysia.
Most Chinese families will stock up on fish, prawns, dumplings, spring rolls, pineapple tarts, and Nian Gao.
#1 Steamed Fish Dish — an Increase in Prosperity
“Fish” (鱼 Yú /yoo/) sounds like ‘surplus’ in Chinese. The Chinese are hard-working, thrifty people and like to have a surplus at the end of the year.
They like to know that they have saved money at the end of the year.
When they do, they can make more in the next year by working and being thrifty.
Chinese serve fish as the last dish before rice.
They often serve the fish dish before the rice dishes in most Chinese banquet dinners at restaurants.
It should be the last dish served with a leftover, even at home.
This has an auspicious homophonic for there be surpluses every year.
We observe these customs in a lively and light-hearted spirit, full of laughing and banter.
How to cook the Fish?
We can cook fish in various ways, with steaming as the favorite to taste the flesh’s fresh sweetness.
A favorite cooking method in restaurants and at home is steamed fish in soy sauce with pickled cabbage and chili.
CHINESE NEW YEAR greeting “Nian Nian You Yu” is an auspicious greeting meaning abundant Year By Year. This greeting implies abundance with the same pronunciation, “Yu,” which is fish but in a different Chinese character, and fish is used to represent abundance to the Chinese.
#2 Chinese Dumplings — Wealth
In North China, dumplings (饺子 Jiǎozi /jyaoww-dzrr/) are traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year’s Eve.
They make the Chinese dumplings look like boat-shaped, oval Chinese silver ingots.
Dumplings have minced meat and finely chopped vegetables filling wrapped with a thin dough wrapper skin.
Popular fillings are minced pork or beef, ground chicken, fish, diced shrimp, and vegetables.
The dumplings are eaten boiled, steamed, fried, or oven-baked.
Chinese believe that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the coming year.
They make the Chinese dumplings look like boat-shaped, oval Chinese silver ingots.
#3 Spring Rolls — Wealth
Traditionally eaten during the Spring Festival, Spring rolls (春卷 Chūnjuǎn /chwnn- jwen/) is a dish popular in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
In Penang, the version is called Choon Pneah.
These are cylindrical-shaped rolls filled with vegetables, meat, and even sweet fillings wrapped in thin dough wrappers.
They serve a popular Cantonese dim sum dish deep-fried to a golden-yellow color.
In Penang, the version is called Choon Pneah.
#4 Glutinous Rice Cake — a Higher Income or Position
Steamed glutinous rice cake (年糕 Niángāo /nyen-gaoww/) is chewy, sweet, and a delicacy made only during Chinese New Year.
The name Niángāo sounds like “getting higher year-on- by year” ‘.
Getting higher means prosperity and improved stature in life to the Chinese people.
The main ingredients of Nian Gao are sticky rice, sugar, chestnuts, Chinese dates, and lotus leaves.
While we can eat it all year round, traditionally, it is most prevalent during the Chinese New Year.
Chinese rice cakes, or Nian Gao, are made from pounded rice and have a sticky, chewy texture.
Battered and deep-fried glutinous rice cakes make an excellent snack.
Easily found in Penang street stalls, battered, deep-fried Nian Gao sandwiched between sweet potato and taro is a treat with a cup of coffee.
Glutinous Rice Cake
# 5 Sweet Rice Balls — Family Togetherness
During Winter Solstice, a Sweet rice ball (汤圆 Tāngyuán /tung-ywen/) is eaten.
We associate the pronunciation and round shape of Tāngyuán with a family reunion and coming together.
Besides the Chap Goh Meh Celebrations or Lantern Festival, many Malaysians have a tradition of eating Tāngyuán on New Year’s Eve, which signifies the entire family’s reunion.
Sweet rice ball with dried longan dessert. Photo: Doris Lim
# 6 Longevity Noodles — Happiness and Longevity
Longevity Noodles or “Long Life Noodles” are longer than typical noodles.
These are cooked uncut and served.
It is symbolic of the eater’s wish for longevity.
Longevity noodles (长寿面 Chángshòu Miàn /chung-show myen/) are fried or boiled.
Lucky Chinese New Year food can be noodles served on a plate or in a bowl with broth.
Auspicious “Long Life Noodles” are a traditional Chinese dish of egg wheat noodles often served at birthdays and celebrations like Chinese New Year.
Noodles in soup.
# 7 Good Fortune Fruit — Fullness and Wealth
Mandarin Oranges, Tangerines, and Pomelos are famous for their round shape and “golden” color.
We eat these lucky foods or fruits during the Chinese New Year period.
These symbolize fullness and wealth.
Eating and displaying Mandarin Orange, Tangerines, and Pomelos are believed to bring good luck and fortune.
The pronunciation and even writing sounds like gold and success.
The Chinese for orange (and tangerine) is 橙 (chéng /chnng/), which sounds like ‘success’ (成).
The writing Tangerine (桔 jú /jyoo) contains the Chinese character for luck (吉 jí /jee).
The Chinese word for Pomelo (柚 yòu /yo) sounds like ‘to have’ (有 yǒu).
Lucky Mandarin Orange is given as gifts and eaten during the Chinese New Year.
#8 Prosperity Toss Yee Sang
We know the 7th day of the Chinese New Year as “Mankind’s birthday.”
“Yee Sang “is a traditional dish of raw fish, shredded vegetables, lime, pickled ginger, and fried crunchies.
The salad is mixed, tossed, and shared by family, friends, or colleagues.
This gathering is a symbol of togetherness.
The group will mix and toss the ingredients with chopsticks amidst “Loh Hei” shouts.
The higher, the greater the prosperity they will enjoy throughout the year when we toss.
Is there any particular food you cook for your family to usher in luck for the Chinese New Year?
Smart Dory wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year. I wish you good health and much success in 2023! Gong Xi Fa Cai! May all your dreams come true.
Mandarin: 新年快乐 (Xīn Nián Kuài Lè)
Hokkien: Keong Hee Huat Chye
Cantonese: San Nin Fai Lok
