Thursday, February 7, 2008
Food & Life Lucky food: Superstitious eats for Chinese New Year
Posted by Lianna Shen on Thu, Feb 7, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Chinese New Year is one of the best things about being Chinese. If you’re not married, you can expect to receive little red envelopes filled with money (the older you are, the more you get). And you get to pig out on food for a week. If you think Thanksgiving is a big deal, imagine a whole week of holiday feasts. There are always leftovers; food is prepared not only for close family and friends, but for ancestors and those who have died.
Traditionally, there are certain foods that must be eaten on Chinese New Year. The Chinese are a superstitious bunch, so if you’re invited for a Chinese New Year feast, be prepared. You will be expected to eat a LOT.
Everything must be eaten, because everything has a purpose. Don’t argue; it’s for your own good.
Whole, fresh fish
Yes, with the head and tail intact, and eye staring at you. No filleting allowed.
In Chinese, the word “fish†is a homonym for the word “rain.†There is a Chinese proverb used during the New Year festivities that expresses hope for rain in the years to come. Rain is essential to producing crops, and especially important to the farming industry in China. For merchants, the more crops, the more money, so eating whole, fresh fish is thought to ensure money and fortune in the new year. It also symbolizes a “fresh start,†and letting go of regrets from the past year.
Chicken
A whole chicken must be served with a head, tail and feet to show completeness and abundance in the new year. Black chicken is popular in China. It’s a chicken with white feathers and black bones, skin and meat. It’s supposed to be healthier than the regular bird due to a high level of antioxidants.
The carcass of a black chicken
Eat vegetables, live long life
The Chinese are very literal when it comes to their symbolism. Long vegetables symbolize a long and healthy life, since plants are a direct representation of life through nature.
Traditionally, on the first day of the Chinese New Year, families enjoy a vegetarian meal with lots of root vegetables. Certain foods represent specific things. Black-moss seaweed will bring wealth while lotus seeds will bless the family with male babies. The ginkgo nut represents silver ingots, and fried bean curd is a homonym for the word “fortune.â€
Fresh bean curd or tofu is usually not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year -- white signifies death and misfortune.
Dumplings
Fried golden dumplings are served as a snack, as opposed to the steamed kind that can be eaten as a meal. These little finger foods look like golden nuggets, so the more you eat, the more money you are bringing to yourself.
Sweet New Year
There is an obsession with the sweet in Chinese culture. Calling a woman “sweet†is almost more endearing than telling her she’s pretty. Likewise, wishing someone a “Sweet New Year†has a very rich meaning and eating sweets is the physical embodiment of this New Year exaltation.
Cashew cookies
Besides the sweetness factor, I’m not really sure why these cookies are so popular during the New Year, but I’m sure it has something to do with the way they look. They are golden in color and are popular with kids. My mother once told me that children have to eat as many cookies as they can during the New Year to prepare themselves for what the new year may bring.
Nian gao
The direct translation of this dessert is “New Year Cake.†It is dense and molasses-colored, with a jellylike consistency that is usually decorated with maraschino cherries or some other kind of red fruit, for good luck. From my childhood, I remember this dessert being very oily and heavy, and I’m convinced that some restaurants make it with pig fat. I’m sure there is good Nian Gao out there but I have yet to taste it.
Zhong zi (sweet glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves)
These little bundles of heaven are made with plump, juicy rice, and filled with red beans or sometimes black sesame. They are steamed and best served hot. My mom used to make savory zhong zi as well, flavored with soy sauce and stuffed with various meats and vegetables.
Rice pudding is also served in some parts of southern China. I’ve had a lot of rice pudding in my life but never specifically for Chinese New Year. It is the vanilla of Chinese desserts.
Mandarin oranges
Oranges are one of China’s most abundant fruits. They are also little and golden, so like dumplings, they also look like little hunks of gold.
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