Top staple dishes of Chinese New Year

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Top dishes to serve during Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year festivities are all about fun, family, friends, and food.

As the preparations get underway, many people focus on the food that they will serve during the festivities. Traditional food favourites include everything from noodles to citrus fruit. Tasty as these foods may be, did you know they hold a special meaning or significance for the coming year? The following are some Chinese New Year foods that you should know about.

1)  Potstickers and dumplings


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Food selected during this time is seen as a way to usher in luck for the New Year. Dumplings and potstickers are popular foods that are consumed throughout the year, but take on a new meaning during Chinese New Year.

The special New Year potstickers are shaped to resemble gold and silver ingots to signify wealth and prosperity in the coming year. For the celebrations, many add peanuts to the filling as they are considered to bring a long life.

2)  Noodles


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Noodles are a popular staple in Chinese cuisine and they have a long cultural history.

Noodles signify a long life and for the New Year festivities, they have to be as long as possible. Uncut noodles to signify longevity are also served on birthdays.

This New Year food is very easy to prepare, and vegetables such as carrots and cabbage, squid balls, chicken, and other traditional ingredients often accompany it. Pancit canton and pancit bihon are the most common types of uncut noodles.

3)  Whole fish


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Serving whole fish is another common food tradition during this time.

The fish represents good fortune, and can be prepared in different ways. The only thing to note is that you cannot eat the entire fish to the bone. The fish symbolizes profit, and everything left over signifies excess profit for the family throughout the year.

4)  Citrus fruits


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Citrus fruits are considered to bring luck, wealth, and status, and hold a place of honor on the table. The Mandarin words for most of the fruits sound like the three words.

The Mandarin words for “orange” and “tangerine” sound like gold and luck respectively. The Cantonese word for “pomelo” sounds like status and prosperity. The citrus fruits are often presented with the stems and leaves as this helps to signify balance and wholeness.

5)  Sticky RiceCakes


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You simply cannot forget to stock up on sweets for sweet tooths. The most popular desserts are sticky rice cakes which are usually filled with sesame seeds and peanuts—two foods that are thought to bring luck.

The rice cakes can be purchased in China Town or specialty stores, and you can choose from the numerous flavors available. Pastries such as egg custard tarts and candied nuts are also popular treats.

You can serve other typical foods during this season. The Chinese symbolic foods are frequently included in a Chinese box or "Tray of togetherness" that is often presented as a gift to visitors.

If you don't want to prepare the dishes yourself, consider hiring a caterer to help provide the yummy meal for you. Check out SgFave's list of caterers in our business directory on caterers in Singapore. For more Chinese New Year stories, visit our Chinese New Year consumer guide.