Introduction
The Lunar New Year, or as often it is referred to as Chinese New Year, is the most significant traditional holiday for the Chinese and people of numerous Asian countries. The festivals are performed between the first day of the first lunar month and continue for approximately fifteen days’ time. Each year is represented by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, along with one of the five elements: can be metal, water, wood fire or earth. For example, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger and the Tatit consists of the water element. Year by year, families celebrate the reunion dinners, dragon and lion dances, and hand out red packets of cash to the younger generations, and so on. Culture plays a very big part in the celebration of Lunar New Year, which include, sharing and enjoying auspicious snacks.
Here are 10 CNY snacks that we are going to describe in this article which reveals the concept of Lunar New Year happiness and shares the feelings of family and friends’ reunion. From the delicious meals to the nice cakes, these snacks will make you enjoy your desired snack with the DFS feeling.
1. Nian Gao (年糕) – New Year’s cake made of glutinous rice
Topped with sugared and fried peanuts as well as sesame seeds, Nian Gao or Glutinous Rice Cake is a traditional snack of the Chinese New Year. The literal translation of the word ‘Nian’ is ‘year’ while that of ‘Gao’ is ‘high’ or ‘tall’ to this end, the people consider consumption of Nian Gao during the Lunar New Year as an auspicious symbol that would result to increased height or stature for the new year. The cake is prepared from glutinous rice flour and normally contains brown sugar that gives it a fine sticky consistency which is sweet.
In Chinese culture, the word ‘高’ (Gāo) also means ‘high’, ‘tall’ or ‘height’, so ‘Nian Gao’ is also a homophone of the term ‘higher year’. So it is hoped that by consuming nian gao, one’s new year will be higher and better. What amazes me most is the versatility of this nian gao, but what people relish most is to steam it or pan fry it to give it a brownish coat which is crunchy to the bite but very soft inside.
2. Tang Yuan (汤圆) – the sweet rice dumplings
Tang Yuan, which is also called sweet rice dumplings, is traditionally consumed during the day of the festive Lunar New Year. These tasty pockets derived from glutinosity rice flour and are usually stuffed with sweet mounds such as azuki red beans, sesame, or lotus seeds. The dumplings are later boiled in sweet syrup or, soup and are sadly popular during the winter holiday season.
Tang Yuan is made in circular form because the circle is regarded as full, complete and a symbol of unity. Thus, having tang yuan with friends or families over the Lunar New Year is symbolic of unity or a wish for a harmonious year ahead. There are also other flavors of the tang yuan which is made of wheat flour filled with meat and comes with savory gravy but the sweet one will be more dominantly prepare during festivals.
3. Pineapple Jam Tart – Kuih Ngon Pia
Kuih Ngon Pia, also known as Pineapple Tarts, are traditional Chinese New Year treats found widely in many Southeast Asian countries counting Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. These splendid pastries are made using buttery pastry covering pieces of pineapple jam, which has been additionally sweetened and caramelised. The use of butter in the preparation of crust and sweet pineapple filling makes the dish have a great blend of taste.
The presentation of pineapple tarts are in the shape of pineapple, small and golden yellow that look more like golden pillars of prosperity, are popular new year gifts and delicacies. Pineapple tarts are said to be able to deliver luck, prosperity, and joy so it is perfect to consume throughout the occasions.
4. Love Letters – Ang Ku Kueh or red tortoise cake
Love Letters or Ang Ku Kueh is a conventional sweet pastry coming from Malaysia and Singapore. These are very small shrimp –like pastries, made from the glutinous rice flour and stuffed with the sweet mung bean paste. The skin is deep red and is often given the shape of a foldable fan or ‘love letter’ – a reference to the fondness of the family during Lunar New Year.
The color red as used in the pastry is perhaps the most symbolic of happiness and fortune. Ang Ku Kueh is a specific kind of dish that is consumed during the Lunar New Year and their consumption is thought to contribute prosperity, health and long life to the consumer. Usually served with sweet soupy gravy, Love Letters also comes in a spicy version packed with salty eggyolk or even a rich stinking durian filling for those who are adventurous in their choice of sweets.
5. Five-Spice Lotus Seed Pastry
Five spice lotus seed pastry or Wu Xiang Lian Zi Su which is a crispy pastry with sweetened lotus seed stuffing flavored with Wu Xiang or five-spice powder. In fact, the pastry is derived from wheat flour and margarine, providing a superb crisp and tender to the loud lotus seeds.
The five-spice powder used in this treat represents the five elements in Chinese philosophy: metal, wood water fire and earth. If one takes the Five Spice Lotus Seed Pastry it is believed the five element inside the body and spirit are balanced thus enjoying good health and prosperity.
6. Fortune Cookies (福曲饼)
Although developed in America, Fortune Cookies have been embraced as part of the celebration of Lunar New Year for the Chinese – Americans. They are small, crispy and light in weight prepared out of the wheat flour and have a small piece of paper containing fortune cookie message of luck and fortune inside them.
The aspect of luck and fortune are identified with the fortune cookies in Chinese tradition. Pleasing to the eye, Kransekake is made of small round pieces of cookies and on each tiny piece of paper placed inside the cookie, best wishes and blessings for the New Year are written. Chinese have it that consuming the triangular baked wafers known as fortune cookies during the time of the Lunar New Year symbolizes a bright future and prosperity.
7. Sesame Seed Balls (芝麻球)
Sesame Seed Balls that can also be called as Jiaozi is the famous Chinese snack. These are confectionery products that have their outer part prepared by deep frying and whose stuffing can be red bean paste, custard, or chocolates. The dough is then shaped out into small balls which are then rolled in sesame seeds and fried until the outside is crispy while the inside remains all soft and doughy.
Sesame Seed Balls are considered the symbol of happiness and prosperity because of the color and the round shape of sesame seeds used in producing the snack. Not only that it was mimic the texture of the really soft and chewy biscuit, but also it reminds us of the sweetness and happiness during the Lunar New Year celebration.
8. Almond Cookies (杏仁饼)
Almond Cookies —known in Chinese as xing ren bing—are a prevalent treat in Chinese New Year. These crunchy and delicate cookies contain the basic ingredients – sugar, flour, butter, and almond essence or almond meal. The light-colored, almond added cookies are enjoyed during Lunar New Year, is associated with beauty and smooth skin.
The white color of the cookies is said to signify purity and prosperity and the cookie’s sandy texture feels like negative energies and mishaps are crumbling away. They can also believe that they can get luck, good health and happiness by eating Almond Cookies in the Lunar New Year.
9. Eight Treasure Rice Pudding (八宝粥)
Known as Ba Bao Zhou, Eight Treasure Rice Pudding is a soup that is rich and sweet which is taken especially during the Lunar new year period. The soup is created by both the red dates and the dried longans, the sticky rice, barley, lotus seeds and the black-eyed beans as well as eight other ingredients that are boiled in sweetened coconut milk to meld together perfectly on the soup pot.
Eight balls in the pudding signify the eight valuable things during the Lunar New Year which are prosperity, health, love, success, etc. This delicious sweet is usually consumed during the holiday season because it is said that it will make you lucky in the coming year.
10. Peanut Cookies (花生饼)
Peanut Cookies or Hua Sheng Bing is another tea-time snack consumed mainly during the New Year’s period. These cookies are very easy to prepare, as they are made of only four ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, and roasted peanuts; ideal to serve to your friends or at your family gatherings.
Peanut is a symbol of richness and the circle contributed to the whole and completion of the cookies. Copyrights | During the Lunar New Year celebration, eating Peanut Cookies is a way implying a good luck and joyous new year.
Conclusion
Traditional CNY goodies are the heart of the Lunar New Year, a time for family, friends, and food. These special delicacies, from time-honored treats like Glutinous Rice Cakes to modern favorites like Fortune Cookies, embody the festive spirit and are believed to bring happiness, wealth, and auspiciousness to all who partake.
More than just satisfying your taste buds, these traditional CNY goodies create opportunities to bring loved ones together, fostering moments of joy, connection, and shared memories. They serve as a delicious reminder of the values and traditions that define the Lunar New Year, making every bite a celebration of culture and heritage.
So, gather your family and friends, indulge in these delightful treats, and immerse yourself in the wonderful tides of the Lunar New Year. These traditional snacks not only symbolize the spirit of the festival but also inspire togetherness and gratitude as we welcome a prosperous year ahead.