Chinese New Year Dishes

Family is the basis of the Chinese society, which is seen through the significance placed on the New Year’s Eve dinner or Reunion dinner.

This feast is extremely important to the Chinese. All family members must come back. Even if they truly can’t, the rest of the family will leave their spot empty and place a spare set of utensils for them.

In the legend of the Spring Festival’s origin, this was when the monster Nian would come and terrorize the villages. The people would hide in their homes, prepare a feast with offerings to the ancestors and gods, and hope for the best. Food is one of the things that the Chinese take the most pride in. And of course, 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. Both the names and looks are symbols of wishes for prosperity, happiness and auspiciousness. Though every region (even household) have different customs, there are some common dishes seen on every table.

Spring Rolls

Eggrolls are probably the most well-known of Chinese cuisine. However, they’re actually “spring rolls.” They are eaten during the Spring Festival in Southern China to celebrate the coming of spring. More specifically, they are eaten on the first day of spring. They can appear on the table as a dinner dish, appetizer or snack.

Most are familiar with the deep fried version of spring rolls. Throughout China, they can also be steamed or baked. Size and shape vary from small rectangles to large flat circles. During the Jin Dynasty, people would arrange spring rolls and vegetables together on a plate. This was known as the Spring Platter. During the Spring Festival, emperors would award officials with Spring Platters. Each platter is said to have been worth thousands.

Spring roll skins are made of flour, water and some salt. The filling depends on your personal taste. Traditionally, the filling is made of pork, Chinese cabbage, shiitake, carrots and seasoning.

For those with a sweet tooth, there are Shangainese style red bean paste spring rolls. Now, there are even ice cream fillings!

To make, create the filling of your choice. Place around 2 spoons onto the center of the spring roll skin. Tuck in the sides and roll it up, sealing the edges with egg whites. Finish by throwing them into the deep fryer until the skin is golden and crispy.