Happy Chinese New Year
02 February 2011
It’s Chinese New Year eve!! expecting an awesome dinner tonight^^
Here’s 8 Good Luck Foods for Chinese New Year (I’ll be seeing a lot of these tonight). Take a filling journey to the Chinese gastronomic flair of wealth and fortune!
1. Tangerines and Oranges. Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. It’s said the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck. “It”™s good if they have leaves,” adds Missie Mum, “because leaves symbolise longevity.”
2. Very long Noodles. If noodles are served, then keep them as long as possible for long life.
3. Nian Gao means Year Cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high (in Chinese). Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. My auntie will be making plenty of this today for us.
4. Long Leafy Greens and Long Beans. Leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are served whole to wish a long life for parents.
5. Whole Fish. It”™s important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact, Missie mum says it’s “to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year.”
6. Sweets. Serving desserts brings a sweet life in the new year. My all time favourite is the flaky cookie pockets called gok jai. They tend to be filled with peanuts, coconut, and sesame. Delicious!
7. Peking Duck. Peking duck is a traditional, authentic Chinese dish which represents fidelity. The red color feature of this stands for happiness. Definitely this roasted delight is a must have on a Chinese New Year’s banquet.
8. Black Moss: In Chinese, black moss (fat choy) sounds like “fa cai,” which means “fortune” in English.
Have a nommingly good time everyone! :) – Oh, remember to say “Kung Hei Fat Choi!” to your oriental friends and family, they’ll love it!
Missie Cindz
