Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is frequently referred to as ‘Chinese New Year’ or Chung Hei Fat Choi however it’s not only celebrated in China. The term ‘Lunar New Year’ is increasingly used to refer to festivals in other countries that take place at the same time and with many of the same traditions as in China.
The festival to celebrate the start of the new year of the lunar calendar is celebrated across the world in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian, and Indonesian communities. The festival is a time when family come together, often travelling from near and far to exchange well wishes and celebrate togetherness.
Traditional Lunar New Year foods include longevity noodles, spring rolls to symbolise wealth, a whole steamed fish for abundance, sticky rice balls for togetherness, and more.
Here we’ve pulled together a few of the above including other traditional dishes. These recipes will be sure to bring luck and prosperity for the coming year whether you’re gathering with family this year or just celebrating on your own.
Dumplings
Dumplings are a very significant food for celebrating the Lunar New Year, specifically jiaozi dumplings. In Mandarin, “jiao zi” sounds like a phrase which also means “midnight exchange” – making them the perfect food to symbolise moving from one year to the next at midnight.
For good luck, jiaozi are shaped like traditional silver and gold ingots in the hope that eating them will bring you wealth and prosperity.
Noodles
Long, long noodles are the essential to celebrating Lunar New Year. Long noodles are considered to represent a long life. This makes it bad luck to cut or bite the noodles short – instead the etiquette is to slurp the noodles as much as possible if you wish for a long life.
Steamed chicken
Like with serving a whole fish, whole steamed chicken represents family. The claws are also served, to help those who eat them grasp onto wealth, and eating chicken wings will help you achieve more by “flying higher”.
Whole steamed fish
In Mandarin, the word for “fish” also sounds like the word that means “surplus”. Serving and eating steamed fish at New Year symbolises a wish for bounty and prosperity. Serving a whole steamed fish symbolises family togetherness.
Vegetables
As with dumplings and noodles, different vegetables have symbolic meaning that makes them a special part of a Lunar New year feast. Lotus seeds, for instance, are a blessing for many children and a healthy family, while seaweed symbolises wealth and fortune. Grapefruit symbolises prosperity, while bamboo shoots represent a long life and a promising future.
You may also like to include spring rolls in your feast. Everyone loves a tasty spring roll! Traditionally they’re eaten to celebrate the first day of spring. While we’re more familiar with fried spring rolls, they’re also served baked or steamed. Most commonly filled with pork, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and shiitake they can also be filled with sweet fillings like red bean paste.
Looking for more Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Singaporean, Malaysian or Indonesian-inspired dishes?
Spinach and ginger dumplings
Pan-fried choy sum dumplings with shredded ‘quickle’
Asian-style steamed fish with ginger and soy
Steamed asian greens with char siu sauce
Shiitake mushroom and pork soup dumplings
Pork and gai lan dumplings
Mixed Asian greens in oyster sauce
Ginger and lemongrass whole baked snapper
Steamed fish with chilli and ginger
Money bags
White steamed chicken
Hoisin chicken wings
Pork mince stir fry with crisp green beans
Prawn and garlic dumplings
Prawn dumplings
Green dumplings with soy chilli dipping sauce
Crispy fried pork dumplings
Chinese chicken dumplings
Pork with rice noodles
Singapore noodles
Dan dan noodles
Chilli jam beef noodles
Char kway teow
Vegetable dumplings in broth
Steamed pork buns
Little pork dumplings
Steamed chicken dumplings in broth
Prawn and fish balls with ginger broth and noodles
Chive wontons in Asian broth
Asian broth with prawn dumplings
Char siu pork ribs
Sticky coconut rice balls
