春节十大传统美食 下

Jai

This vegetarian dish is eaten because it's "part of the Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables," says Lum. It's also packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for longevity; lily buds to "send 100 years of harmonious union"; Chinese black mushrooms to "fulfill wishes from east to west"; and more. Try our recipe.

Long Leafy Greens and Long Beans

Gong writes that leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are "served whole to wish a long life for parents."

Whole Fish

The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance, says Lum. It's important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact, writes Gong, "to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year."

Sweets

Serving desserts brings a sweet life in the new year. Gong writes that a childhood favorite was the flaky cookie pockets called gok jai, filled with peanuts, coconut, and sesame.

Yuanbao (Jiaozi)

"In North China, everyone eats the jiaozi dumplings," says Dunlop. "Families will make a dough and wrap it around pork and cabbage, and boil [the dumplings], then serve them with vinegar and soy sauce. You can wrap them in the shape of an old silver ingot." Gong writes that during New Year celebrations jiaozi are called yuanbao, a reference to the ancient, ingot-shaped Chinese currency, and that eating them is said to bring prosperity. While making them, families sometimes tuck added good-luck foods like peanuts (to bring long life) into some of them.