Traditional Chinese New Year Food

Chinese New Year is around the corner! What better way to enjoy the celebrations than with traditional Chinese New Year Food? Read on for recipe inspiration around your Chinese New Year menu planning and why each recipe invokes symbols of Luck, Unity and Peace!

Hosting family and friends this Chinese New Year? Worried about what traditional Chinese New Year Food to serve? Fret not. Here is our list of go-to recipes which will bring your guests luck, unity and peace. PSSSTTTT, scroll down… don’t miss our limited time Chinese New Offer for Buy 2 Get 1 Free on our range of Shabu Shabu and Yakiniku cuts!

Sweet glutinous rice cake (年糕 Nian Gao)

Kick start your Chinese New Year Food planning by getting acquainted with Nian Gao. Loosely translated to ‘New Year Cake’ or just ‘Year Cake’, this is a must have for your dining table as a symbol of higher success in the Lunar New Year. Easily prepared with glutinous rice flour, these cakes can be sweet or savory, depending on tastes and what they are paired with. To add that sweet touch, simply add sugar, of course. Going savory? Add to your traditional stir fry for a winning formula.

Whole Fish

When it comes to Chinese New Year Food, nothing tastes as good or is as easy to prepare than a whole fish. Bearing leftovers is a great thing in this instance, as it symbols an abundance of food and/ or wealth, so get cooking!  Adapt this salmon side recipe for your preferred whole fish for the dining table and dig in!

Whole Chicken

A visual demonstration of unity, a whole chicken is a must have Chinese New Year Food item for your festive planning. Symbolising the reunion of family, prepare your whole chicken in advance with this go-to family favourite.

Dumplings (饺子 Jiaozi)

Fun to make and yummy to eat, pre-prepare and freeze these pork and prawn dumplings so you can serve them up with little fuss, as part of your Chinese New Year Food repertoire! Shaped as the ingot (the gold and silver pieces used as money in yesteryears), dumplings represent being prosperous – like literally eating money!  Hot tip: some believe that the filling in a dumpling can have lucky (or unlucky) connotations. For example, cabbage and radish eaten on New Year’s Eve bodes well for skin and mood. On the other hand, sauerkraut should be avoided as they imply a poor and difficult future.

Sweet Rice Balls (汤圆 Tangyuan)

Typically served on the fifteenth and final day of Lunar New Year celebrations, you can’t go wrong serving up some Tangyuan as part of your Chinese New Year Food line up. Not unlike it’s cousin the Nian Gao, these balls are prepared with glutinous rice, but are typically served in a broth or deep fried, and filled with peanut, red bean and sesame paste.

Tangerines and Oranges

Love setting the scene? Well you can’t go overboard with Tangerines and Oranges as a decorative item to accompany your Chinese New Year Food, or as a gift for your guests. Serve at the end of a meal or exchanged between friends and family, these citrus fruits are a symbol of luck. Be sure to pass two at any one time, using both hands, to avoid being a symbol of bad luck.

Longevity Noodles

When it comes to longevity noodles, the longer… the better. Served with a broth or gravy like sauce, we personally love this recipe, which can be adapted for your Chinese New Year Food noodle of choice.

Candy and Other Sweets

Symbolising a sweet life, bring out our inner sweet child by keeping a stash of Chinese New Year Food sweets! Anything like dried fruit and candy will do the trick here!

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