Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New Year

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood and vegetables) is a staple for a Chinese New Year celebration.

If you want to read the Chinese Horoscope for the Year of the OX, I blogged about it HERE.



2. Fish

Fish is the most popular dish served during Chinese New Year. In Chinese, fish has the same sound as surplus and abundance. A whole steamed fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the reunion dinner. It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail intact. This symbolizes surplus and abundance and a good beginning and end in the new year.


3. Shrimp

Shrimp in Mandarin and in Cantonese sounds like someone laughing. The Chinese eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

Boiled dumplings are shaped like gold ingots. The Chinese word for dumplings sounds like the word which means the hour of transition into the New Year. Thed umplings which are filled with meat are eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to bring in good luck and wealth in the New Year. Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year. When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they mean golden threads through gold ingots.

5. Oyster

The Chinese word for Oyster sounds like the word which means 'good things'.

6. Green vegetables

For closer family ties, Chinese serve green vegies.

7. Sticky rice cake

The Chinese believe eating steamed cake made of rice flour with red dates on top will bring greater prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

This represents longevity, long life.