38 Lunar New Year Foods
At the beginning of each lunar calendar, the new year is celebrated by East and Southeast Asian communities worldwide. In China, Korea, Vietnam, and many more enclaves across the globe, the holiday is a time for togetherness, when family and friends gather to feast and exchange well wishes for the coming year. Traditional Lunar New Year foods include longevity noodles, a whole steamed fish for abundance, sticky rice balls for togetherness, and more. Below you’ll find some of those lucky foods, along with other traditional dishes like dumplings and rice cakes. Whether you’re gathering with family this year or just celebrating on your own, these recipes are sure to bring you luck and prosperity for the coming year.
Photo by Jenny Huang, Food Styling by Tyna Hoang and Imogen Kwok1/38Longevity Noodles
You might be tempted to cut these extra-long noodles, but the length of these noodles symbolizes a long life, and it's important that they're one long, singular strand. These noodles are a staple Lunar New Year food—serve them with Concubine's Chicken or a simple sauce of black vinegar and soy sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou2/38Rice Cake With Mixed Vegetables
The Mandarin name for these delightfully chewy rice cakes, nian gao, is a homophone for a tall year—in other words, serving them during new year celebrations is meant to signify a long life ahead. To make this traditional dish, soak the rice cakes in water for a few minutes, then sauté greens, shiitake mushrooms, sliced carrots, and bean sprouts. Add the rice cakes and cook until softened, then finish with a touch of soy sauce and black bean sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou3/38Pork and Chive Dumplings
Chef and cookbook author Sohui Kim calls these dumplings a hybrid of Japanese gyoza, Korean mandoo, and Chinese jiaozi. Use thin wrappers to contain a juicy filling of pork, chives, and tofu, then crimp the sides until they're properly sealed. Pan-fry until crisp, then serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka4/38Whole Black Bass with Ginger and Scallions
A whole steamed fish symbolizes abundance, and is a staple at Chinese new year celebrations. For an easy version that frees up stovetop space, steam your whole fish with ginger and scallions in the oven. Pour a simple sauce of soy sauce, sugar, and water over the bass, then bake until just cooked through.
Photo & Food Styling by Betty Liu5/38Sticky Rice Balls
Sticky rice balls—or tang yuan—are a traditional Chinese new year food that can be made savory or sweet. Go the savory route with ground pork or Chinese greens, or make sweet rice balls by filling them with a nutty paste made from both black and white sesame seeds. Tang yuan is a homophone and symbol of unity and family togetherness, and are also served during the Lantern Festival.
Photo by Ed Anderson9/38Lamb and Green Squash Dumplings
Lamb is a popular and traditional dumpling filling in Northern and Western China. Here, the dumplings get a burst of freshness from zucchini and a kick from Sichuan peppercorns. Purchase thin wrappers from the store, or make your own.
11/38Spinach and Egg Dumplings
There's a reason most dumplings are made with meat: It has heft, a little fat, and protein—everything you need to bind a proper filling. For a meatless dumpling with plenty of flavor and texture, chef and cookbook author Helen You fills her dumplings with lightly scrambled eggs and blanched spinach seasoned with sesame oil and oyster sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou12/38Concubine's Chicken 贵妃鸡
This chicken is named for Yang Guifei, a Tang Dynasty consort who loved to eat. This dish of juicy dark-meat chicken is sweet, sour, and just a little spicy—and best served with some longevity noodles, or chang shou mian.
14/38Lucky 8 Stir-Fry
This dish takes its inspiration from Buddhist vegetarian cooking and can include any combination of ingredients that represent good luck, prosperity, happiness, family wholeness, and longevity. Feel free to swap out ingredients here based on what's in your fridge, but make sure you have eight vegetables in all. “The Chinese word for eight is a homophone for prosperity," says cookbook author Hsiao-Ching Chou.
