Chinese traditional festivals are always packed with good-luck foods. Especially for Chinese New Year - the most important one, some representative cuisines are served throughout the 15-day celebration. Almost every dish has a symbolic meaning either because of the appearance or the pronunciation of its Chinese name.
Fish is always a must for the New Year's Eve dinner as a symbol of prosperity. The pronunciation of "fish" (鱼) in Chinese makes it a homophone for "surpluses" (余). It is customary to serve a whole fish, with the head and tail intact. Moreover, the fish is never fully eaten to ensure that the family will have an excess of good fortune through the new year.
Jiaozi or Chinese dumplings symbolize wealth because its shape resembles a gold or silver ingot. It is also indispensable for New Year celebration in North China. When people have Jiaozi around midnight on New Year's Eve, they hope that the food will bring prosperity for the forthcoming year.
Nian Gao, which is a homonym for "higher year", often given to relatives and friends as a gift. This kind of sticky cake - made of glutinous rice flour and sugar - comes in yellow and white colors, symbolizing gold and silver. It is supposed to improve luck in the coming year.
Tangyuan, also called Yuexiao in Northern China, is the poster food for Lantern Festival on the 15th New Year celebration. These round glutinous rice balls are eaten to symbolise family reunion.
