Food Symbolism during

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese like playing with words and symbols. Often homonyms (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings) are gladly used. Names of dishes and/or their ingredients which will be served sound similar to words and phrases referring to wishes expressed during the Chinese New Year, while other foods hold a symbolic meaning.

Food offerings are a prayer or a wish and can be addressed to ancestors and other beings such as the Jade Emperor and The Kitchen God. The offering of food serves to bring ancestors and other beings in the other world closer to oneself. The food offerings serve as a bonding tool to bring both worlds together.

The Symbols of Food and its Representation for the Lunar New Year

Chinese often like to play around with homonyms – words that share the same pronunciation but diverse in meanings. Whether it’s the shape, colour or symbolic representations, these are prominently used in the auspicious & grand festivals like the Chinese New Year, weddings, birthdays and etc.

Below a brief list of the food’s symbolic meaning:

Abalone (鲍鱼) – definite good fortune

Apple (苹果) – wisdom, peace

Apricot, dried (杏脯) – gold, wealth

Arrowhead (慈菇) – benevolence

Arrowroot (竹芋) – good life

Bamboo fungus or bamboo pith (竹笙) – long life

Bamboo shoots (竹笋尖) – wealth, a new start

Banana (香蕉) – wish for education, brilliance at work/ school

Bean curd/tofu (豆腐)- fulfilment of wealth and happiness

Bean curd sticks (腐竹) – blessing the house

Bean sprouts (豆芽/芽菜) – to your heart’s content, positive start into the new year

Black moss (髮菜) – wealth

Cabbage, Chinese (白菜) – 100 types of prosperity luck

Calms (扇贝) – opening of new horizons

Calm roll (干贝) – gold, wealth

Carrots (紅蘿蔔) – good luck

Cashew nut (腰果)- gold, money (the shape symbolises the ingot of ancient times)

Chicken (whole) (鸡肉) – prosperity, togetherness of the family, joy (note: chicken with its head, tail and feet symbolises completeness)

Chinese garlic chives (韭菜) – everlasting, eternity, long life

Coconut (椰子) – promoting togetherness

Duck (鸭肉) – fertility

Egg (蛋) – fertility

egg roll (蛋皮春卷) – money, wealth, gold

Fa Gao/steamed Prosperity cake (发糕) – to raise, be prosperous

Fish, whole (魚)-remain or surplus, having leftovers

Fish ball (鱼蛋) – reunion

Golden lily buds, Daylily (金针) – wealth

Gingko nuts ( 銀杏/白果)- hope for silver, wealth (the shape represents a silver ingot)

Glass noodles, Chinese vermic (粉絲) – silver chain

Grapes (葡萄) – wealth, abundance, fertility, many descendants, family harmony

Dumplings (饺子) – wealth, togetherness (the shape is that of a ingot)

Jujube, dates (蜜枣) – wealth, prosperity, fertility

Kumquat (金橘) – gold, fortune, wealth

Lettuce (生菜) – prosperity

Longan (龙眼) – many good son

Lotus seeds (蓮子) – a full wallet, many male offspring

Lychee (荔枝) – close family ties

Maize (玉米) – growth

Mandarin oranges (瓯柑) – gold, wealth

Meat ball (肉丸) – reunion, togetherness

Mixed vegetable (什锦蔬菜) – family harmony

Black fungus, Wood ear (木耳) – longevity

Noodles, uncut (面条) – long life

Onion (洋葱) – cleverness

Orange (柑橘;) – wealth, good fortune, gold

Oyster (牡蠣) – receptivity to good fortune, good business

Oyster, dried – all good things, good luck

Peach – immortality

Peach, pair of (桃) – wealth, abundance, long healthy life, great fortune for many generations

Peanuts (花生) – health, long life, birth of prosperity, continuous growth, multiplication in wealth and good fortune, stability

Pineapple (凤梨) – wealth, luck, excellent fortune, gambling luck

Pomegranate (石榴) – many offsprings

Pomelo (柚子) – abundance, prosperity, having children, good health, family unity

Pork (猪肉) – strength, wealth, abundant blessing

Prawn (大虾) – liveliness

Pumpkin (南瓜) – prosperity, abundance, descendant’s luck, illustrious children, enchantment,

Rice (米饭) – fertility, luck, wealth

Sticky rice cake (年糕) – increasing prosperity every year.

Roseapple (蒲桃) – calmness, peace of mind, no fighting

Shitake, Black mushroom (冬菇) – longevity, sizing opportunities

Shrimp (小虾) – happiness and good fortune

Snow peas (荷蘭豆) – unity

Spring roll (春卷) – wealth (the shape of a gold bar)

Sweet corn (甜玉米) – growth, increase

Sweets, (糖果) – safety, good fortune and ‘sweeten’ the new year

Tangerine (橘) – luck

Turnip cake (萝卜糕) – good omen

Vegetable, green (绿叶菜) – close family ties

Walnut (核桃仁) – happiness of the entire family

Water chestnut (荸薺) – unity

Winter noodle (冬粉, dōng) -ee glass noodle

NOTE:
Presenting a “whole” chicken with its head, tail and feet symbolism completeness.

Fresh bean curd / tofu is not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year as the colour signifies death and misfortune.

Fresh fruits symbolise life and new beginnings.

Sugared fruits are supposed to sweeten one’s upcoming year.

Sweets and fruits are served on a round tray, the form resembling togetherness, hence the tray is called the “Tray of Togetherness”. Sweets offered on the tray add up to the number 8, because eight is a lucky number and symbolises fortune.

A coin might be hidden in one dumpling, and the person who will find it is supposed to be showered with good fortune and wealth.