8 Lucky Foods To Ring In The Year Of The Dragon

These delicious traditional dishes will bring you an extra dash of luck and prosperity this Lunar New Year!

Jovi Figueroa

<div><br/></div><p>With ChineseNew Year just around the corner, are you making sure your home is all set toring in all the luck for this year? </p><div><br/></div><p>Differentfamilies have different ways of celebrating Chinese New Year. Many of us lookforward to eating out with the whole clan at our favorite Chinese restaurants,while some like to keep it personal at home. Some families have also been doingthis for years as a sort of an annual tradition, while others are creating new traditions. But on the whole, we all just want to introduce more luck into their homes this coming year. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/6c900238-0ca8-48c4-8272-9b64d47b4441_crabs.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Eating together as a family is a long-standing tradition duringthe Chinese New Year, and there are certain auspicious foods that should be on the table to usher in good luck and prosperity for the year. Chineseculture can be very traditional and symbolic, which is why many of their centuries-long traditions are still observed to thisday.</p><div><br/></div><p>If you want to serve a lucky feast, check out our list of auspicious and traditional dishes for the Lunar New Year, what theysymbolize, and where to get them.</p><div> </div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/food/the-ultimate-list/chinese-new-year-tikoy-2021/28975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Where To Buy The Most Delicious Tikoy For  Chinese New Year </a></div><div class="article-content" itemProp="articleBody"><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/852e9f1d-33eb-409f-9828-a37cfada0575_1landscape%20llucky%20food.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/bed24f5b-55ca-412d-a3b5-5fdfe862108e_2 landscape.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/333517c5-2811-4c8c-bcea-c2b6f67228a6_2%20fish.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/57b445ee-dada-4979-80fa-078d5bb46140_2%20gfish.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/87fa0cc4-fc82-49ae-97c1-db865727cea3_3%20atikoy.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/5f9c668c-da4f-4874-aba8-8fb749c8e550_3%20tikoy.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/35e4f3d7-d402-44f1-bb18-d60ff8cbd826_4.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b63d8509-4d47-487b-84c2-c99431c083c3_5.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/9f56b1a0-480d-40e0-afa4-db318b68bd71_6%20dumplings.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/04b3d2db-a228-4c56-a34e-fdb5d51fb3b7_7%20dumplings.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/2456a516-d0d6-4d35-bebf-ef33bf989b7d_8.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/bf2a9080-63c8-4282-9665-df8d91c835eb_9.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/16fe3f3e-ffaa-4dff-a904-3ee22082f5dd_10.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/849fbca7-e759-48fc-8635-652570b6031f_11.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b9cda028-4778-4f69-8d1a-4919e73cfb79_12%20rice%20ball.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/1cf4fa17-a905-4da8-b026-10f5461436e7_13%20rice%20ball.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/6f538794-b664-4c17-a3ec-258106b2a9b7_14%20orange.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/9dd3063e-9487-48d1-8b75-184cfac1cfd5_15%20orange.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><div></div></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Prosperity Toss  - More a festive tradition than merely a dish, the prosperity toss is a salad of colorful ingredients that can include decadent ingredients like abalone or gold leaf, prepared communally at home, served in dramatic fashion that includes tossing of ingredients as high as you can. The higher the toss, the happier you&#x27;ll be in the coming year. Enjoy this at Canton Road at Shangri-La The Fort this year.  <cite>Shangri-La The Fort </cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Fish for prosperity - Fish is one of the most important and symbolic dishes not only during the Lunar New Year, but in most Chinese celebrations. This is because in Mandarin and many other Chinese dialects, the word fish is pronounced as “yu,” which is the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for “surplus.” This symbolizes the desire to “have surplus at the end of the year.” It’s also important to know some of the customs when serving and eating the fish. The head of the fish should be placed toward the elders or distinguished guest in the table, and everyone else can only start digging in when that person has finished taking a bite of the fish.<cite>Jordan Lye/Getty Images</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - Steamed fish is one of the most common way to serve fish in Chinese cuisine. For an exceptional fish dish, check out the signature 100 Second Stewed Yellow Croaker from Putien, a Michelin-star restaurant that opened in Podium in 2019. As the name implies, the fish is flash stewed for 100 seconds and served in a claypot of light fish broth. Putien has amazing food and they do know how to make a winner broth. This is a Michelin-star experience you don’t want to miss.<cite>@putien.ph</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Tikoy or nian gao to get a raise or a promotion - If fish is the star of the main course, the sticky rice cake is the star of the dessert as it literally translates to “New Year’s Cake.” The word “gao” in nian gao also loosely translates to “higher” so it symbolizes higher growth, higher success, or a higher position in your career. Traditionally, nian gao is made with red dates, but it is now available in many different forms and flavors.<cite>Sweet Taste Bakeshop</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - Here in the Philippines, nian gao has been popularized as tikoy, which you can find almost everywhere when Chinese New Year approaches. One of our favorites is the tikoy from Sweet Taste Bakeshop, a Quezon City-based shop that started selling homemade tikoy back in 1991. What we love about their tikoy is that it stays soft and slightly chewy after cooking, and tastes the right level of sweet. Visit their Facebook page to order.<cite>Sweet Taste Bakeshop</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Eight Treasures rice pudding for a thriving business - Another sticky dessert that you’ll see in New Year feasts is the Eight Treasure rice pudding, whose name comes from the 8 different kinds of dried fruits that they include in the pudding. In Chinese tradition, the number 8 is auspicious, and also sounds like another Chinese word that means “rich” or “to thrive in business.” <cite>The Hong Kong Cookery</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - It’s hard to look for this dessert here in the metro, but why not try making your own at home using this easy-to-follow recipe from Hong Kong Cookery? This way, you can choose which dried fruits and nuts to include in your dessert. Some of our favorites are: raisins, candied wintermelon, cherries, apricot, pine nuts, and dates.<cite>The Hong Kong Cookery</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Dumplings for luck and wealth - Dumplings are one of the most classic Chinese delicacies and  perceived to be highly auspicious because they&#x27;re shaped like gold or silver ingots. For more than 1,800 years, dumplings have been part of Lunar New Year feasts. It&#x27;s said that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money and fortune you’ll have throughout the year. Generally, dumplings can be stuffed with different fillings, but some fillings have particular meanings. During the New Year, cabbage and radish are popular additions because they are believed to bring fair skin and a gentle mood.<cite>Omnivore’s Cookbook</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - In Chinese families, learning how to make a dumpling is a prerequisite. But you can also just go out and buy dumplings, especially if they’re as tasty as the ones from Hong Kong Little Kitchen. You can order their pork and shrimp dumplings steamed, fried, or even frozen. Get the spicy shrimp version for a little extra heat!<cite>Hong Kong Little Kitchen</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Spring rolls for wealth  - Just like dumplings, spring rolls signify wealth because they resemble gold bars. This is why spring rolls are usually  fried, since they turn  golden after a hot oil bath. There’s also a lucky saying associated with eating spring rolls: 黄金万两 (hwung-jin wan-lyang) which means “a ton of gold.”<cite>Papa Pancitan</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - Here in the Philippines, spring rolls are more commonly known as lumpiang Shanghai. Infuse a bit of Pinoy flavor into your Chinese feast by getting a bilao of lumpiang Shanghai from Papa Pancitan, a new delivery-only brand from the makers of Manam. What we love about their spring rolls is that you get choose between two kinds—meaty for the carnivores, and an option vegetarian option for the vegetarians.<cite>Papa Pancitan</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Longevity noodles for happiness and long life  - In Chinese culture, noodles are traditionally associated with long life. On Chinese New Year, expect the noodles to be really long—sometimes up to two feet long! Traditionally, longevity noodles are prepared as a single very long noodle strand. When eating, try not to bite the noodles to break it off, but just continue to slurp until you get to the end.<cite>Xiu PH</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - Longevity noodles are usually served either fried on a plate, or boiled and combined with a broth. For delicious noodles, order a plate of fried noodles with BBQ pork or these e-fu noodles with mushroom and truffle from Xiu, a popular Chinese restaurant in San Juan City that specializes in family get-togethers and feasts. Their e-fu noodles should be a big hit with your family, featuring homey flavors with a modern earthy twist from the truffle sauce.<cite>Xiu PH</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Sweet rice balls (tangyuan) for family unity - Instead of serving and eating this on the eve or day of the Chinese New Year, serve sweet rice balls on the 15th and final day of the celebration, on the day of the Lantern Festival. Tangyuan is made of glutinous rice flour and is served in a thin broth or deep fried. The round shape of the rice balls signify reunion and being together, which is why it is favored by Chinese families during the New Year celebrations. <cite>MyKitchen101</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - Sweet rice balls come with different fillings like red bean, sesame, peanut, or taro. If you’d like to buy some ready-made sweet rice balls, you can find a lot of Chinese and Filipino food favorites from D’Alpha Hub Mart, a fusion convenience store that offers same-day delivery throughout Metro Manila. Just go to their website and browse for your foodie needs, including this bestselling glutinous rice ball in sesame and peanut flavor.<cite>D’Alpha Hub Mart </cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Good fortune fruits for fullness and wealth - Round and golden fruits like orange, ponkan, kiat kiat, and pomelo are popular during the Chinese New Year because they symbolize fullness and wealth. Oranges, most particularly, are displayed prominently on the table to attract luck and fortune because the Chinese word for orange sounds like the Chinese word for success. These fruits are eaten at the end of the meal and can also be exchanged when you go visit relatives.<cite>Unsplash</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p> - To get fresh fruits delivered to your home, you can count on Coop Grocer, an online store that offers next-day delivery for all your grocery needs. Apart from fruits and vegetables, they also have a huge roster of premium items from meat and seafood to dairy, bakery, and pantry essentials. But if you need some oranges, pomelo, and ponkan for your Lunar New Year spread, you’ll be pleased to know that their Coop Fresh always has the freshest produce, which are packed and delivered well. A bonus: they have various cashless options like Gcash upon delivery.<cite>COOP Grocer</cite></p></div></div></div></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/food/the-ultimate-list/beautiful-cafes-for-when-you-need-to-get-out/28928" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beautiful Cafés For When You Need To Get Out Of The House </a></div><div><font face="Georgia-Italic"><em>Lead photo: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shangrilafort" target="_blank">Shangri-La The Fort </a></em></font></div>

These delicious traditional dishes will bring you an extra dash of luck and prosperity this Lunar New Year! 

8 Lucky Foods To Ring In The Year Of The Dragon | ABS-CBN

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8 Lucky Foods To Ring In The Year Of The Dragon

8 Lucky Foods To Ring In The Year Of The Dragon

Jovi Figueroa

Published Jan 11, 2024 02:58 AM PHT

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Updated Jan 16, 2024 01:49 PM PHT

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food

chinese

new year

lunar

lucky

auspicious

fish

tikoy

nian gao

shanghai

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