The auspicious symbolism of these traditional Chinese New Year foods is based on their pronunciations or appearance. Not only do the dishes themselves matter, but also the preparation, and ways of serving and eating mean a lot. The most common Chinese New Year foods include dumplings, fish, spring rolls, and niangao. We've rounded up 12 Most Americans consider January 1 the start of the new year, but many Asians and Asian-Americans don’t. Instead, they follow Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year in the U.S., which begins on January 29, 2025. (That’s the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, BTW.) Chinese New Year is all about gathering with family and friends to welcome the new year, which falls on January 29 this year! For 15 days, we will gather with our loved ones and share delicious meals. Chinese New Year food is literally a feast of sorts, like turnip cakes and CNY puddings; and these foods are eaten for auspicious reasons. The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in China: it lasts up to two weeks and is the only time of the year when China shuts down. Unlike Western countries, the Chinese New Year generally falls between January 21st and February 20th in the Gregorian calendar, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The act of sharing and enjoying these delectable pockets during the New Year celebrations becomes a communal tradition that extends beyond culinary delight, fostering a sense of togetherness and the belief in the prosperous journey that lies ahead. 20. Niangao (Chinese New Year Cake) Sweet rice balls (tang yuan)Symbol: Family togetherness Popular and important to Southern Chinese families in particular, tang yuan is eaten from the Reunion Dinner until the Lantern Festival Serious Eats / Fiona Reilly. In winter, a steaming cauldron of boiling water sits on every stove, ready to cook jiaozi at a moment's notice. Today, making dumplings together at Chinese New Year is a tradition shared by almost every Chinese family around the world, but the practice has its roots in China's north, where the wheat used in the tender dumpling skins (jiaozi pi) was once a more Glutinous rice cake – Niangao is also a common New Year food, as its name sounds like “getting higher year-on-year,” a wish for prosperity. 2. Chow Mein Noodles. Longevity noodles (Chang Shou Mian / chung-show mien) are another unsurprising addition to the Chinese New Year table. Below, you’ll find a list of Chinese New Year foods that are sure to guarantee prosperity, wealth and food comas. First: The Complexity of Finding “Authentic” Chinese New Year Dishes. When putting together this list of traditional Chinese New Year food, I (as most children of immigrants do) turned to my parents for their eternal wisdom. Wednesday, January 29th, will kick off the start of the Year of the Snake with celebrations of fireworks, family, and feasts all across the world. Dumplings Caitriana Nicholson/Flickr. Resembling coin purses, dumplings are said to bring wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture. Traditionally filled with a mixture of meat, tofu, egg, and/or A common new year snack is Tanghulu. Do note that many small business and restaurants in urban areas tend to close around new year there are always restaurants that serve new year eve dinners, but some may require reservation. So make sure you do enough research and have fun! SAN FRANCISCO -- The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is based on cycles of the moon and falls on a different day every year. In 2025, the Year of the Snake begins on Jan. 29. It Happy Lunar New Year from Goldthread! Whether you say gong xi fa cai (Mandarin) or gong hei fat choy (Cantonese), there are still a few iconic New Year’s dis Food is one of the things that the Chinese take the most pride in. And of course, a lot of care and thought is put into the menu for the most important holiday of the year. As with Chinese New Year activities and decorations, the dishes are created to give blessings for the next year. You may think “Lunar New Year” and “Chinese New Year” refer to the same event. That’s not the case! The Lunar New Year celebration in South Korea or Vietnam looks different than a celebration of the Lunar New Year in China. The holidays take place on different dates, too. In 2025, China begins to celebrate its Lunar New Year on 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 Green is a color associated with wealth and currency, so leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and bok choy are often served as a Chinese New Year food. During Chinese New Year, these foods are often included in stir fry, soups, spring rolls and salads. The hope is some of that promised prosperity will manifest in your new year. 6. Dumplings Across the globe, many cultures have devised ways to usher in the new year, usually with much pomp, joy, and enthusiasm. In China, the festivities last for 15 days, a week of which is a public Food plays a very central role in Chinese New Year traditions, as different foods have come to symbolize different things such as wealth, prosperity and fortune. A wide variety of dishes are often present during Chinese New Year feasts including whole fish, chicken, dumplings and plenty of vegetables.
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