Lunar New Year foods
Lunar New Year is celebrated in China, Korea, Vietnam and across Asia, and the foods carry wishes for luck, wealth and long life. Dumplings, rice cakes and sticky sweets appear on tables in many forms.
Jiaozi
People's Republic of ChinaDumplings eaten at the Chinese New Year table, especially in northern China.
Jiaozi are a type of Chinese dumpling. They typically consist of a ground meat or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together.
Read more
Nian gao
People's Republic of ChinaA sticky rice cake whose name sounds like 'higher year', eaten for Chinese New Year.
Nian gao, sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply known as "rice cake".
Read more
Tteokguk
South KoreaSliced rice cake soup eaten on Seollal; eating it is said to add a year of age and bring good luck.
Tteokguk (Korean: 떡국) or sliced rice cake soup is a traditional Korean dish eaten during the celebration of the Korean New Year. The dish consists of broth/soup (guk) with thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok).
Read more
Bánh chưng
VietnamA square sticky rice cake with pork and mung bean wrapped in leaves, the emblem of Tết in Vietnam.
Bánh chưng, banh chung or chung cake is a traditional Vietnamese dish which is made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, and other ingredients.
Read more
Tangyuan
People's Republic of ChinaSweet glutinous rice balls whose name echoes 'reunion', served at Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival.
Tangyuan is a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice shaped into balls that is served in a hot broth or syrup. They come in varying sizes, anything between a marble to a ping-pong ball, and are often stuffed with filling.
Read more
Yusheng
People's Republic of ChinaA raw-fish salad tossed high by everyone at the table for good fortune, popular with Chinese communities in Singapore and Malaysia.
Yusheng, yee sang or yuu sahng, or Prosperity Toss, also known as lo sahng (Cantonese for 撈生) is a Chinese raw fish salad that is popular among the Chinese communities of Malaysia and Singapore.
Read more
Thit Kho Tau
VietnamBraised pork and eggs in caramel sauce, a traditional dish of Tết in Vietnam.
Caramelized pork and eggs or thịt kho tàu is a Vietnamese dish that consists of small pieces of marinated pork and boiled eggs braised in coconut juice.
Read more
Eight treasure rice
People's Republic of ChinaA sweet sticky rice dessert with dried fruit and nuts, often eaten at Chinese New Year.
Eight treasure rice is a Chinese dish made by steaming glutinous rice with various ingredients (traditionally eight of them). It is often eaten on celebratory occasions, in particular during Chinese New Year.
Read more
Galbi-jjim
South KoreaBraised short ribs, a festive dish served at Korean holiday tables such as Seollal.
Galbi-jjim, or braised short ribs, is a variety of jjim or Korean dish made with galbi (갈비, short rib). Galbijjim is generally made with beef or pork (돼지, dweji) short ribs. In the latter case, it is called dweji galbijjim (돼지갈비찜).
Read more
Spring roll
People's Republic of ChinaGolden fried rolls that resemble gold bars, a symbol of wealth during Chinese New Year.
Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines. The wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique vary by region but are generally filled with vegetables or ground meat.
Read more
Kek Lapis Sarawak
MalaysiaColorful layer cakes from Sarawak, baked for celebrations including Lunar New Year.
Sarawak layer cake is a delicacy from the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, which comes in normal layers or in intricate patterns. It is often served on special occasions, such as cultural and religious celebrations, including marriages and birthdays.
Read more
Mongolia
Russia
IndonesiaDescription: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons