Photography by Matyen
Introduction
CNY is the most preferred and significant event that is embraced in the Chinese communities. Members of the family come together in order to bring in the new year’s blessings including prosperity, luck, happiness and health. One way people celebrate for several days is to consume typical CNY foods that have good meanings associated with them. In choosing these snacks, names, ingredients, shapes or colors are selected to bring about symbolic meaning of wealth, success, unity, luck, fertility and so on.
When decorating your houses and preparing the food for CNY visiting, don’t forget to include these 8 staple CNY cookies/sweet items for your family, friends and guests!
1. Nian Gao (Sticky Rice Cake)
Of all the snack foods, there is none more emblematic of Chinese New Year than a nian gao, sweet sticky glutinous rice cake. Its name translates to higher year that means growing in stature or be it prosperity or ranking up every new year. Preparation of nian gao is common on CNY due to the belief of inviting good fortunes in the upcoming year.
The sweet dessert is sticky rice cake and its meaning is remain together as a family the all year around as well. Its sticky texture also says have a ‘sticky’ fortune – so money and good luck will stick to you! Select nian gao that is freshly made, best baked with such popular and symbolically fortunate fillings such as red bean paste or even coconut.
2. Mandarin Oranges
The literal translation of ‘gold oranges,’ which in Chinese are called ‘Mandarin oranges,’ makes this fruit perfect for CNY fruit snack. Orange color/tint associated with gold ingot and round shape also reflects prosperity. Their sweet juicy prominent taste also symbolizes sweet juicy life to be experienced in future.
Similarly, to give a pair of mandarin oranges also means wishing a couple or marriage together well and prosperity in their relationship. Place oranges grouped in a porcelate or use an attractive arrangement as the centerpiece together with other Chinese New Year items!
3. Roasted Nuts and Seeds
Cooked or roasted nuts and seeds such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds and honey melon seeds are warming up tasty professed CNY snacks. Their firm and crispy are symbols of wishes for abundant of fertile yields, numerous off springs and breaking new frontiers.
Other examples of symbolism include; Roasted nuts and seeds illustrating unity, family togetherness. These are snacks that people take when they are most leisurely and gasping for time, moments and blessings when friends and families are together. They are delicious on their own and can also be eaten with dried fruits;
4. Pineapple Tarts
With delightfully cute pineapple flower looks also called feng li su, chinese new year cookies such as pineapple tarts symbolize prosperity and good luck. Their crumbly buttery cookie crust and sweet pineapple jam filling stands for wishes for a prosperous, slippery, and sweet year.
Their golden color also reflects prosperity and their designs of intricate mould or handcrafted work depict high skill to detail for detailing one’s achievements and dreams to accomplish them. Needless to say, pineapple tarts are perfect pasalubong or beautiful and flavorful treats to enjoy by one’s self with a hot cup of Chinese tea!
5. Bakkwa (Chinese Roast Pork)
Bakkwa or rou gan is thin slivers of barbecued salty-sweet pork jerky. This is a very popular snack around CN Daniel Wondimu CNU Feasibility study Yantai Snacks If you only think of what you want to eat tomorrow or, even better, the following year, you will go wild for this snack, especially during CNY because it’s red meat symbolizing luck, joy and prosperity in the coming year. Bakkwa is perfect as gift for friends, family and co-worker.
The high protein dried meat is also quite ideal for it is known to have good storage abilities basically indicating full storerooms and durability. But bakkwa is really really delicious served with bread, in fried rice dishes or with porridge or plain simply with tea or beer! There are so many ways that bakkwa can be gift-wrapped, making it a very flexible CNY blessing snack.
6. Dried Oysters
Dried oysters are considered as one of the best CNY products that represent everything that is good – from plenty to unity, wealth, and much more. Their drying process is the best way to retain their high content of flavors and nutrients as well as to make them last longer – similar to saving one’s wealth.
In Chinese ‘hai o’ which is dried oyster really means words for ‘good things’. The dried seafood products are supplementary in preparation of oyster sauce dishes, stews, stir, friesian braised noodles and rice recipes. They also turn wholesome gifts or as premium CNY decorations.
7. Candy Boxes with Dry Fruits, Candies & Nuts
Delightful packets of beautifully wrapped box / tin filled with candied wintermelon, candied lotus seeds, dried longan, candied ginger, melon seeds, peanuts and more make nice CNY fancy packs. Their contents are sweet; thus, they represent the desire for sweet and rich life in the future with union and childbearing.
This way the elaborate candy boxes filled to the brim symbolizes also the notions of bounty, of richness and of satisfaction of a good life given by the giver as much as received by the receiver, to share unprecedented bliss! These are perfect as corporate or family gifts for those friends who simply love sweets!
8. Chinese Tea
CNY drink complements favorable Chinese teas such as oolong, Tieguanyin or pu-erh add meaning to the celebratory process. These are not just ordinary stocks for people to consume in their day to day lives but rather great Chinese teas that define courage, self- awareness, cleanness, energy, wealth and other qualities that many wish to have in the New year. Drinking these teas also purges from within and restart new fresh starts.
For friends and family too, give finest quality Chinese tea sets accompanied by lovely teas to bring harmony with the family. Enjoy it with lucky reunion dinners or share with friends during tea time or prepare it with snacks especially nuts for simple and classy BEST WISHES FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!
Conclusion
But there is definitely no lack of good edible things to usher in a sweet, rich, smooth new year! Make sure to collect these 8 wonderul CNY goodies and snacks before you start celebrating the coming Year of the Rabbit. Of course, excluding bribes, but all the dishes are delicious entrees and gifts that everyone likes. Their beautiful forms, flavors, and colors will help to enhance all celebrations while the fortunes and luck are kneaded into every single bite!