在中国，这些菜为什么是年夜必备？

春节，是中国最隆重的传统节日。传统意义上的春节持续一月之久，以除夕和正月初一为高潮。在除夕之夜，家家户户都会准备一桌丰盛的年夜饭，阖家围坐，举杯畅饮。中国人的年夜饭里都有哪些常见的年菜？这些年菜都有什么寓意？让我们一起来看看吧~

The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in China. Traditionally, it lasts for one month, culminating in Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of the first lunar month. On the New Year's Eve, every household prepares a sumptuous dinner, and all family members sit around the table to celebrate the reunion. What are the common dishes for the New Year's Eve? What are the meanings behind them? Let's take a look.

yǘ

鱼

Fish

鱼，谐音“余”，寓意“年年有余”，是年夜饭必不可少的一道菜。年夜饭常见的菜品有松鼠桂鱼、干炸带鱼、清蒸鲈鱼等。

In Chinese, fish (鱼) is homophonic to the word for surplus (余). Therefore, fish has been an indispensable dish for the dinner table of the New Year's Eve. Usually, sweet and sour Mandarin fish, dry-fried beltfish, or steamed bass is served.

松鼠桂鱼

Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish

jī

鸡

Chicken

鸡，谐音“吉”，寓意“吉利”。年夜饭常见菜品有白切鸡、小鸡炖蘑菇、猪肚包鸡、大盘鸡、辣子鸡等。

Chicken (鸡) is homophonic to the word for auspicious (吉) in Chinese. Common dishes made of chicken for New Year's Eve include plain sliced chicken, chicken stew with mushrooms, chicken wrapped in pork tripe, Dapanji (lit. “large plate chicken”), and spicy chicken cubes.

辣子鸡

Spicy Chicken Cubes

jiǎo zi  

饺子

Jiaozi(Chinese Dumplings)

饺子是中国传统食品之一，以面皮包裹馅料，蒸、煮或煎后食用。因形似元宝，象征“喜庆吉祥”，又谐音“交子”，有“辞旧迎新”的意味，是中国大多数地区春节必备的食品。

The jiaozi is one of the traditional Chinese foods, made of stuffing wrapped in dough and cooked by steaming, boiling or frying. Resembling the ancient Chinese gold ingot in shape, it symbolizes “festivity and auspiciousness.” Meanwhile, the name is homophonic to the Chinese term for the moment of the turn of the New Year. It is a must-have food for Spring Festival in most parts of China, due to its name’s connotation of “bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new.”

舌尖上的中国：饺子

A Bite of China: Dumplings

nián gāo  

年糕

Rice Cakes

年糕由熟糯米打制或米粉蒸制而成，因“糕”谐音“高”，有“年年高”的寓意。

Rice cakes are made of cooked glutinous rice by repeated beating or rice flour by steaming. Being homophonic to the Chinese word for high (高) , the food carries the connotation of “improvement year over year.”

舌尖上的中国：打年糕

A Bite of China: Making Rice Cakes 

wán zi    

丸子

Meatballs

丸子，中国南方也称“圆子”，象征“团圆”，以各种肉类、蔬菜、菌菇、面粉、大米等制成。鲁菜名菜四喜丸子象征“福禄寿喜、团圆吉祥”，在年夜饭餐桌上也十分常见。此外，常见的丸子菜肴还有红烧狮子头、萝卜丸子汤等。

Meatballs (wanzi) are also known as “yuanzi” in southern China. Symbolizing “reunion” for their roundish shape, they are made of various meats, vegetables, mushrooms, flour and rice. Braised pork balls in gravy, a famous dish of the Shandong Cuisine, is cherished on the dinner table of the New Year’s Eve for symbolizing “fortune, prosperity, longevity and festivity for the auspicious reunion.” Other common meatball dishes include braised meatballs in brown sauce and meatball soup with white radish.

四喜丸子

Braised Pork Balls in Gravy

zhú sǔn 

竹笋

Bamboo Shoots

竹笋，因竹子节节拔起的生长特性，象征着“节节高升”，经常出现在各类年菜中。

Bamboo shoots grow by elongating the sections vertically and thus symbolize “rising.” They are frequently used in various dishes for New Year’s Eve.

舌尖上的中国：竹笋

A Bite of China: Bamboo Shoots

  là  wèi  

腊味

Cured Meat, Fish, etc.

“腊”是一种肉类食物的处理方法，把肉类以盐或酱腌渍后，放于通风处风干，便于长期储存。农历十二月被称为“腊月”，这时的天气最适合制作腊味，腊味也因此常见于中国人的年夜饭中，常见的有腊肉、腊肠、腊鱼、腊鸭等。

“La” (curing) is a method of processing meats. The meat is marinated with salt or sauce, and then placed in a ventilated place to air dry for long-term storage. In China, the twelfth month of the lunar calendar is called “the La Month”, when the weather is ideal for curing meats. Cured meats commonly found on the dinner table on New Year's Eve include pork, sausage, fish, and duck.

扫码观看腊味的制作方法

Scan the QR Code to Check out the Curing Process

 zá  hùi  

杂烩

Mixed Stew

杂烩也是年夜饭常见的菜品。人们将各种各样美味可口的食材一起烹煮，以祈求“盆满钵满、团团圆圆、美美满满”。比较有名的杂烩菜式有佛跳墙、盆菜、大拌菜、大锅菜、乱炖等。

Mixed stew is also a common dish for New Year's Eve. An assortment of delicious ingredients is cooked together representing “fortune, reunion, and happiness.” Fotiaoqiang (lit. “Buddha jumps over the wall”), poon choi, mixed vegetables, big pot cooking, and hodgepodge stewed are among the well-known mixed stews.

佛跳墙

Fotiaoqiang

中国人的年夜饭，不仅好看、好吃，还有好兆头。就算是普通的菜式，也会起个吉祥的名字，比如：有玉米的叫“金玉满堂”，有鸡鸭的叫“展翅高飞”；辣椒多的叫“鸿运当头”，食材丰富的叫“富贵盈门”……这既是一顿团圆饭，更是一种“仪式”，饭桌上觥筹交错，聊着天南海北，叙着无间亲情，所有对过往的回忆、对未来的期许都在这顿年夜饭里……

For the Chinese, the ideal dinner on New Year’s Eve is intended to not only pamper the stomach and delight the eyes, but also be an auspicious omen. For example, corn dishes are called Jinyu Mantang (“a hall of gold and jade”); those with chicken or duck are called Zhanchi Gaofei (“wings of aspirations”); those with chilies are called Hongyun Dangtou (“a streak of great fortune”); those with rich ingredients are called Fugui Yingmen (“wealth and honor at the doorstep”)... The meal is not only a reunion dinner, but also a “ceremony”. As family members sit around the table, toasting and chatting, the blood bond is renewed and enhanced. All the good old days are relived and all those better ones to come are envisaged...

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内容编辑：吴晓静 刘希

美术编辑：杨立梦（实习）

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