Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important of all Chinese annually observed festivities, festive customs, and traditions both in China and among the overseas Chinese around the world. It is a time of feasting and reunion with love ones and family members and indulging in numerous kinds of tasty CNY goods. Not only are these delicious but also have specific significance thus are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Here 10 irresistible CNY goodies that can spice up your festive season:
1. Nian Gao – Sticky Rice Cake
Nian Gao refers to a sweet made using glutinous rice flour and symbolizes increase or the progression in the following year. It gained a symbolic meaning from the name: Nian means year and Gao means high, and so people wished for a higher year. The cake itself is sticky, and this particular property represents unity as people cling to one another when they face some challenges. They are normally topped with peanuts or sesame seeds since these are connotations with success and prosperity.
2. Ang Pow – Red Envelopes
Although Ang Pow or red envelopes are notfood related, they are important during Chinese New Year Celebrations. These have money gifts, which are presented from the elder to the young as a sign of a showering blessings, wealth and prosperity. Red color symbolizes luck as well as protection against the evils the human world possesses. It is also common that there is an even number of dollars in those envelopes and often people also add a nice new crisp bill for the money circulation in the coming year.
3. Pineapple Tart
Pineapple Tarts are easily a favourite CNY bites and is deemed to be auspicious and associated with blessings. The combination includes the taste of the pineapple jam, sweet and tangy, enveloped in a crispy crust and this is why so many enjoy this delicacies during the festive season. Different kinds of Pineapple Tarts exist in terms of looks but, for the most part, it is in the shape of a moon. Some of them are the pineapple bun, which has a surface of a bread roll and is sweet.
4. Love Letters
Love Letters, otherwise called Thousand Layer Crisps, or Cookie Crisps are fine Chinese biscuits which are created tender and flaky. These biscuits with the flaky layering texture are prepared using dough, butter, and sugar; the biscuit is rolled and folded several times. The fact that it has layers seven symbolizing prosperity, makes it convenient for gift during festivals. The Love Letters has firm and smooth texture and is good to be eaten on its own or with tea.
5. Chewy Sugee Cake
Sugee Cake is also called as Seegoe Cake which is more traditional CNY dessert made from semolina and almond flour. The cake is very moist and gooey, and has the taste of almonds which kids and grown ups will love. Hence, consuming Sugee Cake during CNY is lucky as almonds are supposed to symbolize good fortunes therefore, eating Sugee Cake would help in gaining fortunes and success in the new year.
6. Peanut Cookies
The name of this cookie is derived from the method of making the peanut cookies, which is also called Flowering Peanut Cookies, is among one of the Chinese New Year snacks. They are always crispy and flaky, and those that contain peanuts are many since they represent health and long life. Being a.k.a peanut cookies, these cookies involve the use of flour, sugar and roasted peanuts and the end product is sweet with a tinge of the peanut flavor. These biscuits are then baked to a crisp and golden brown thus making delicious delicacies especially during the holidays.
7. Bak Kwa – Barbecue pork jerky
Bak Kwa contains sliced and marinated pork which is barbequed until it turns brittle, this is a typical CNY snack. Bak Kwa is often barbequed from pork and due to its tasty and juicy nature it is favored by children and grown ups, it is mostly taken in slices or a sandwich. The “Bak Kwa” does represent a good omen or simply good fortune The Chinese believe that giving Bak Kwa to the guest during CNY is auspicious and will provide luck and wealth.
8. Butter Cookies
Butter Cookies also called Napoleons or Pineapple Balls, are traditional Chinese New Year cookies which are popular among generations of Chinese. These cookies are tender, moist and have mild sweet taste and perfect for serving with tea or coffee. Some of them include flowers, stars, and cylinders among others, due to the appearance and design. Butter Cookies may sum up family and reunification as they are being prepared and exchanged among families during the Christmas.
9. Tang Yuan
Tang Yuan are Glutinous Rice Balls,particularly tasty and preferred during Chinese New Year due to its implication as reunion sweet items. Sticky balls of ground rice wrapped in smooth round rice flour paste, it contains sweet black sesame paste or red bean paste filling. Well, I bet you didn’t know that Tang Yuan can be cooked in a savory ginger soup – precisely, sweet ginger soup affords a warm, comforting flavor in the festive period. To date, Tang Yuan is also enjoyed during CNY with the notion that taking the dish will attract happiness in the coming year.
10. Kuih Bangkit – Coconut Cookies
Kuih Bangkit – Coconut Shrimp Paste Cookies – is actually one of the famous kuih that is preparing for Chinese New Year celebration, although this dish is originated from the Peranakans. They are thin, fragile and crunchy made with grated coconut, sugar and a little rice flour. These cookies are not like everyday cookies as the have a certain taste of coconut and some crust feel in the mouth, these cookies are particularly healthy for festive occasions. This Kuih Bangkit signifies prosperity, blessings and fortune, thus ‘gift for CNY’.
Therefore, it can be said that Chinese New Year is a celebration of good food, traditional CNY goodies, and such delicious delicacies. The ten featured delights listed below are not only delicious treats for Chinese New Year but also carry symbolic meanings that add to the festive spirit. It is inevitable to mention snacks and iconic treats like nian gao, bak kwa, and kuih, as they embody the quintessential tastes of Chinese New Year, reflecting wishes for a prosperous year ahead. So, bring more plates of these delightful CNY goodies to the table and welcome the Chinese New Year joyously with your family and friends.