Many Chinese, including our family, follow the practice of abstaining from meat and eating vegetarian food on the first day of Chinese New Year. It is believed that abstaining from meat consumption on the first day will ensure longevity. Vegetarian food can include mock meat as well as vegetables. Many also believe that it counteract the excessive food eaten on Chinese New Year eve and to obtain good karma for the New Year. We have chosen some of the best vegetarian dishes from the Internet, with each representing happiness, fortune, longevity or prosperity. 1. Buddha’s Delight (Luo Han Zai)罗汉斋 Buddha’s delight, or lo han jai, is THE vegetarian dish that my family enjoys on the first day of Lunar New Year. After New Years’ Eve’s abundant feast, it’s part of their tradition to eat vegetarian on the first day as a light, fresh start to the new year. What vegetables should I use for Buddha’s Delight? Like any Chinese dish on a For many Chinese in Malaysia, it is a norm to maintain a vegetarian diet on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This tradition comes from the Buddhist teaching as a form of self-purification and to get good karma for the New Year. Here are ten dishes worthy of a vegetarian New Year feast. Happy Year of the Rat! The foods we eat represent a better year ahead, and dessert recipes are a must as they represent a sweet year ahead! For more symbolic (sadly not vegan) Chinese New Year foods, try these 12 Golden CNY recipes. Note: for more Chinese New Year dessert recipes for 2023, or if you're looking just for Chinese cookies, click here. Hup Toh Soh Lo Han Chai (or Jai) is a braised vegetable dish that is traditionally eaten on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is its name in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect. In Mandarin, we call it Luo Han Zhai and its English translation is Buddha’s Delight. However, the term actually has roots in Buddhism and represents modest vegetarian cuisine. Chinese jai is almost always eaten on the first day of the Chinese New Year to welcome luck and prosperity. It originally has over 30 ingredients, but many families have adapated it to suit their preferences and circumstances. In southern China, there is a tradition to serve this dish on the first day of the Chinese New Year. One theory says it’s derived from Buddhist practice and represents self-purification. Some people believe it brings good luck. And some say it’s great for digestion after eating tons of meat and other protein on New Year’s Eve. 05 Feb / Chinese New Year Recipe: Lo Han Jai or Buddha’s Delight An assortment of vegetables stir-fried together make for a healthful and “cleansing” new year dish [Photo credit: Ezume Images] Commonly known as Buddha’s Delight, this vegetarian dish is usually eaten on the first day of the Chinese New Year. As a child, I looked forward to Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, with glee, anticipating fun and deliciousness. It was a night filled with wonderful foods and clever games like “yu, ha, hai,” (which translates to fish, shrimp, crab), a simple dice game that I relished playing because it made me feel like one of the grown-ups, my uncles and aunts who stayed up late talking Historically, the Chinese New Year is synonymous with an abundance of food symbolising prosperity, with classic dishes like succulent Peking duck and rich pork dumplings taking the focus at the This vegetarian Chinese New Year food is usually served on the first day of the Chinese New Year and represents the Buddha's vegetarian meat-free diet Many Singaporeans and visitors will be seeking dining options during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays. The first day of CNY falls on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, which is a public holiday, with an additional holiday on 30 January. While many establishments traditionally give their staff a break Many believers eat vegetarian on the first day and fifteenth day of every lunar month, in order to pay respects to Buddha and to accumulate good karma. Some believe that doing so on the first day of the first lunar month earns you even more good karma, because everyone else would be feasting on meats and seafood. This vegetarian Chinese New Year food is usually served on the first day of the Chinese New Year and represents the Buddha's vegetarian meat-free diet that helps him to achieve the self-purification necessary for spiritual practice. Ingredients include mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots, cabbage and glass noodles. February 10 marks the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2024, kicking off multiple days of festivities, feasting, and fireworks. Celebrated by multiple nationalities across East and Southeast Asia, the specific traditions range from culture to culture, but for many, this is a time to honor and celebrate family and usher in a new spring. Very simply, Buddha's Delight, or jai (pronounced like "jye"), is a vegetarian dish known in Buddhist and Chinese cuisines and is traditionally served for the Chinese New Year holiday. Jai will vary slightly in ingredients and taste from one Chinese family to the next, with each mum or grandma having learned how to make it from a previous With Lunar New Year right around the bend — New Year’s Eve is Tuesday, Jan. 28 — you may be planning a celebratory feast. And of course the 15-day spring festival that begins on New Year’s Day, Jan. 29 is a great time to focus on Chinese cooking. - Starting the New Year with a vegetarian meal is believed to cleanse the body and mind, creating a fresh and positive beginning. It is seen as a way to purify one’s karma and invite good fortune. 3. Cultural Tradition - In Chinese culture, the first day of the New Year sets the tone for the rest of the year. Chinese New Year is just around the corner. How many of you practice going vegetarian on the first day of Chinese New Year? It is believed, abstaining from eating meat on the first day will enhance longevity. Additionally a vegetarian dish helps to purify and cleanse out the body as well. Lunar New Year Sides Spicy Cucumber Salad. Make a fresh and crunchy Spicy Cucumber Salad with garlicky maple soy dressing for an easy no-cook vegan side dish. This piquant and refreshing cucumber salad is a mix between a classic Taiwanese and a Korean-style cucumber side dish.
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