查看原文
其他

9 Traditional Chinese New Year Foods

2018-02-13 Cristina Ng ShanghaiWOWeng

If you live in Shanghai, you have surely tried rice cakes for Chinese New Year, but there are many other traditional foods around the country from hot pot to wontons. Read more to see what other delicacies China has to offer.


Shanghai: Rice Cake

 


Rice cakes (年糕, niangao) sounds like it means “getting higher and higher by year.” Chinese eat these glutinous treats, not only because they taste great, but because they hope their work and life are full of prosperity from year to year. There are yellow and white rice cakes symbolizing precious metals gold and silver. It’s one of the most favored foods for Chinese people from Zhejiang or Shanghai.


Henan Province: Dumpling Noodle Soup


 

In some areas of Henan Province, on the first day of the CNY, families often eat dumpling noodle soup (饺子煮面, jiazi zhu mian). This dish is called “gold string hooking on gold ingot,” because the dumplings look like ingots and eating them with noodles symbolizes “fishing (for) gold.”


Guangxi Province: Zongzi

 


In Guangxi, zongzi (粽子) is not just a Qingming Festival food. Families there start to prepare it for weeks before Chinese New Year. Zongzi are a precious gift for Chinese families in Guangxi.

 

Hubei Province: The Important Threes

 


On the CNY dinner tables in Hubei, there are these 9 dishes you are sure to find: three meast (chicken, duck, fish), three cakes (fish cake, meat cake, lamb cake) and 3 balls (fish ball, meat ball, lotus root ball). These special dishes complete a perfect CNY meal.


Chongqing: Pork with Salted Vegetable

 


Pork with salted vegetable (梅菜扣肉, mei cai kou rou) is a must have on Chongqing Chinese New Year dinner tables, because梅 (mei) sounds like “bad luck” in Chinese and people there wish to cast away all the bad luck from last year while wishing that next year will be full of good luck and success.


Beijing: Sachima

 


Beyond the well-known delicacies such as dumplings and rice cakes, Beijing’s CNY dinner also includes the ancient sacrificial snacks such as the sachima which are fluffy, fried strands of batter held together with maltose, a viscous sweetener.


Shandong Province: Dumplings

 

 

There’s a famous saying in northern parts of China, “nothing feels better than laying around, and nothing tastes better than dumplings” which is indicative of how much northern Chinese people love this type of food. On the CNY dinner table, whoever gets the special dumpling which has a coin inside is considered to be the luckiest person in the family.


Fujian Province: Noodles

 


The first meal Fujian people eat to welcome the coming of the New Year has to be noodles, because they symbolize longevity. In some parts of Fujian they also eat sausage, egg and ginger for "more prosperous days."


Sichuan Province: Hotpot

 


Of course, hotpot is the favorite food for Sichuan people every day of the year, but the hot pot dinner consumed on the eve of Chinese New Year all their family member is the most special. On the following day, they will eat sweet dumplings and hope for another happy year for their entire family.

 

WE ARE HIRING

Video Host

 

Looking for an enthusiastic and bilingual, on-camera personality to host a new video series for top restaurants, hotels and bars around the city. Get your passport ready, as there will opportunities for international travel.

 

We are also looking for a skilled videographer and director

 

All interested applicants please send your resume and show reel to jobs@shanghaiwow.com

Related Articles




Open During CNY: Where to Eat & Drink



Zodiac Sign Predictions for the Year of the Dog

您可能也对以下帖子感兴趣

文章有问题?点此查看未经处理的缓存