Year of the Snake - © 2025 Hai Mai

Guo Nian Hao! (Happy Asian New Year!) – Lucky Foods…

There are certain lucky foods one must partake of at least once (in truth, as many times as possible) during the 16 days of the annual Asian New Year’s festival. I’ve compiled a list to simplify your dutiful and duly diligent observance…

Asian Whole Fried Fish - © 2020 thewoksoflife.comWhole Wok- or Pan-Fried New Year’s Fish: One of the
most important lucky foods for New Year’.
So many meanings rolled into one!

I’ll list the must-eats in no particular order… Including comments on the inherent symbolism where appropriate, and the aspect of your life eating each now will bring you!

Fish

A whole fish, specifically. Custom dictates that this dish is associated with ‘plenty’. The fish course should be the last one left, symbolizing a ‘surplus’ at the end of the year. A surplus, in turn, symbol-izes the result of good management and budgeting – over the past year and, presumably, for the year to come.

Dumplings

Jiǎozi is a classic Lucky Food. The whole family traditionally gets together to make mountains of these bite-sized soup bobbers. Lots of dumplings symbolizes ‘wealth’.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls also symbolize wealth. They’re like a little purse full of good things! This dish is also popular during the annual Chinese Spring Festival – hence the name!

Tanguyan

Sweet Rice Balls (in clear syrup) are the centrepiece Lucky Food for the Lantern Festival, held this year on February 24. Their round shape symbolizes family and togetherness. These, too, are tradi-tionally consumed during the Spring Festival.

Good Fortune Fruits

Brightly-coloured fruits – especially oranges – are associated with fullness and ‘plenty’. The Chinese world for ‘Tangerine’ sounds very similar to the word for ‘success’. And the written form of the word for ‘Tangerine’ contains the Chinese symbol for ‘luck’.

Niangao

Chinese New Year’s Cake contains sticky rice, sugar, chestnuts, Chinese dates and lotus leaves. It’s name sounds almost exactly like the phrase for, “getting higher year-by-year.” Thus Niangao symbol-izes attainment of a higher salary or a promotion. In general, it means ‘advancement’.

Longevity Noodles

Chángshòu Miàn are long and thin, but strong noodles. Their length symbolizes a long and healthy life. No guarantees, though, apparently. We’re told the dish specifically symbolizes ‘the wish for longevity’.

Family, food and prosperity…

Steamed Dumplings - © eat.tanspace.com

There are many ways Asian families celebrate these lucky foods. Some families get together (sometimes the whole extended family) to make the dumplings, all by hand!

This is truly a time of unparalleled plenty in your fav-ourite Asian grocery or supermarket. Don’t miss out! Make at least one visit during the 16 days of Lunar New Year’s – if only to savour the seasonal wonders!

~ Maggie J.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *