Chinese New Year is the most important time of the year for Chinese. Not only does it signify the beginning of a new year, it is also the season for traditional food indulgence with the your loved ones. Before we welcome the new year, Chinese families always gather today on New Year’s Eve to feast and reunite at a Chinese Year-End Dinner before another year of hard work kick starts.
So what do we eat for this Chinese Year-End dinner? The beauty of Chinese culture is the remarkable styles of regional cuisine which vary across the country. Every region has its own customs to celebrate Chinese New Year. Situated in the Guangdong province, Cantonese food which often features steamed fresh meat and seafood is the recognized “family food” in Hong Kong. There is not a special dish every family makes. You will frequently find a menu consisting of a winter soup alongside an abundant mixture of meat, seafood and vegetable dishes, finishing with glutinous rice dumplings in sweet soup. The winter soup is normally a warming one, herbally soothing for the body and cold weather. Chicken is a common choice for meat as a symbol of prosperity. In the past, this was also the rewarding dish for the farmers’ family after a fruitful harvest. The whole chicken is usually steamed and served with a scallion and ginger sauce for dipping.
Steamed Chicken
Fish is a natural choice for seafood as the Chinese word for fish, “yu“, represents abundance. To truly savor the sweetness of a fresh caught fish, it is often steamed to perfection and not a minute more. Simply pour some hot oil and drizzle some soy sauce on it and served immediately. Families often deliberately leave a small portion of their dinner as leftover to indicate there is plenty for the next year. The Year-End dinner completes with ball-shaped glutinous rice dumplings, or tong yuan. The Chinese word for round, “yuan“, represents reunion and harmony. Chinese cuisine is often served at round tables for that reason. (Read more about tong yuan in our previous post.)
Steamed Fish
Have you had your Chinese Year-End dinner yet? Share with us what you had with your family.
