Understanding Chinese festive cuisine

Understanding Chinese festive cuisine

Good luck with that!

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Understanding Chinese festive cuisine

Fortune-related symbolism is a common ingredient in these Chinese New Year foods and dishes.

While the timeless dishes served during the annual late-January celebration of Lunar New Year – known internationally as Chinese New Year– are popular for their palate-appeal, there's a lot more going on than meets the palate when these festive specialties hit the banquet table.

The influence of Sino-centric homophonics – a pair or group of words with the same pronunciation but different meanings – origins, or spellings – in traditional Chinese New Year cooking is nowhere more evident than in the rules and legends that dictate the role of various varieties of steamed fish.

The popularity of fish in general as a festive favourite, as well as specific types of fish, has as much to do with their auspicious-sounding names as with their deliciousness. The Chinese word for fish ("yoo") sounds like the word for surplus, which is a common New Year aspiration. Eating Crucian carp is considered lucky because the first character of its Chinese spelling ‘jee', sounds like the word for 'good luck'. Similarly, the word for mud carp (‘lee'), sounds like the Chinese word "gifts", while sound of the word for catfish also suggests ‘year surplus' (again …of money).

Even the way a celebratory fish is eaten matters in the world of LNY symbolism, like leaving fish for last and allowing some to remain is another way to express the desire for a surfeit of monetary resource in the coming year.

Some of the most common LNY fish dishes include steamed weever fish, West Lake fish in vinegar gravy served with pickled cabbage and chili, and boiled fish in spicy broth.

Placement of a fish in relation to those present at the feast is also rich in symbolism, such as making sure the fish's head is pointed towards a distinguished guest as a sign of respect.

And another Lunar NY tradition that serves as a very effective ice-breaker holds that two guests seated at opposite ends of a lengthwise-oriented fish should be drinking partners. Cheers!

Another symbolism-steeped dish, Chinese dumplings are widely associated with wealth – or aspirations thereto – and are a staple of LNY dining culture.

Dumplings are often made to resemble Chinese-style silver ingots (a boat-shaped oval turned up at both ends), and related beliefs draw a strong correlation between the number of dumplings one consumes at LNY celebrations and how much money they will earn in the coming year – a somewhat risky strategy that often results in more weight- than financial gain.

The thin dough skin pouches are made with various meat and vegetable fillings, many of which take on a deeper significance among festive season diners. Pickled cabbage dumplings are a big no-no at LNY feasts due to its implication of poverty, while those with radish filling are preferred because it is thought eating them will lead to a fairer complexion and gentler mood. In preparing dumplings, it is important to make them with an auspicious number of pleats, while making the depression between the pleats too thin is thought to signify poverty.

Other examples from among the vast universe of luck-related LNY foods are spring rolls, associated with – you guessed it – wealth, owing to their resemblance to gold bars when fried, and glutinous rice cakes (nian-gao), whose name sounds like getting higher each year, a reference to elevated job or business status. Similarly, the spherical shape of sweet rice balls evokes family reunions and togetherness, while the longer the cut of Longevity noodles, is thought to bring the eater a longer life.

Finally, even certain fruits are thought to bring good luck/wealth because of their names. The Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the phrase "to have… again", while those for tangerine and success are also quite similar.

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