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20+ Lunar and Chinese New Year Recipes

February 2, 2019 by Jeanette 13 Comments

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A Collection of Lunar New Year Recipes

Bookmark this collection of Lunar and Chinese New Year Recipes in celebration of the The Lunar New Year. These Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese recipes all contain auspicious ingredients to start the new year off right.

A Collection of Lunar New Year Recipes - all these foods have special meanings for the New Year

Although I was born in the U.S., my parents are immigrants of China, so I try to instill a little bit of Chinese tradition in my kids, including Chinese New Year. When my mother and father-in-law were alive, my boys would perform the traditional triple bow before receiving their  “hung bao” (red packets of money that children receive from adults). Kids will do just about anything for money, but I was happy they humored me and honored tradition which meant a lot to their grandparents.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolians, Tibetans, and Vietnamese. Interestingly, as I recently discovered, Thai, Burmese, Cambodian, and Laotian folks celebrate their New Year in April.

In the Chinese culture, Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday of the year. In fact, it is celebrated for fifteen days, starting with the new moon on the first day of the first lunar month (of the year according to the lunar calendar) and ending fifteen days later when there is a full moon,  culminating with the Lantern Festival.

Chinese New Year Traditions

There are lots of traditions leading up to Chinese New Year include cleaning the house thoroughly to sweep away any bad luck, getting haircuts, paying off debts to start the New Year fresh,  and decorating the house with red paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets with themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity. Children pay their respects to elders and in return they receive red packets (“hung bao”) with some money. Oranges are often given to friends and family that are visited, a symbol of wealth. Chinese New Year wouldn’t be complete without eating a big feast filled with “lucky” foods.

Chinese New Year “Lucky” Foods

During Chinese New Year, special foods are prepared. Some foods are selected because they sound like another word that means prosperity, luck, wealth or good fortune. Other foods are served because they resemble money or gold. A traditional Chinese New Year dinner might include a whole chicken (family unity), a whole fish (surplus), duck (happiness), lobster (life and energy), Buddha’s Delight (a vegetarian dish made with symbolic ingredients), shrimp (wealth and abundance), oysters (good fortune), scallops (shaped like ancient coins), tea eggs (fertility), noodles (longevity), jiao-tze or dumplings (shaped like old coins), and spring rolls (resemble gold bricks). Tangerines, oranges and pomelos are given out for good luck and abundance.

I have a collection of Lunar and Chinese New Year recipes that contain “good luck” ingredients. Here are some of the symbolic foods you might find during the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year:

Chicken  – prosperity, togetherness as a family (traditionally, a whole chicken is cooked)

Chinese Braised Chicken with Chestnuts or Vietnamese Stir-Fry Lemongrass Chicken

Chinese Chestnut Chicken

Eggs – prosperity and fertility

Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs - these beautiful eggs are flavored with star anise and soy sauce

Walnuts – happiness of the entire family

Stir-Fry Spicy Kung Pao Chicken with Walnuts

Kung Pao Chicken with Walnuts

Lettuce – wealth and riches

Korean Lettuce Wraps

Korean Lettuce Wraps

Fish – surplus, prosperity (traditionally served whole for New Year’s)

Try this Chinese Steamed Fish, Miso Glazed Salmon, or

Chinese Steamed Fish with Soy Sesame Sauce

 Chinese Szechuan Spicy Fish Soup

Chinese Szechwan Spicy Fish Soup - hot bean sauce, dried chilies, Szechwan peppercorns and ginger are the key ingredients in this flavorful soup

Green vegetables – close family ties

Stir-Fry Baby Bok Choy with Shitake Mushrooms and Peppers

Stir-Fry Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms

Fried Rice – harmony and plenty

Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice

(This fried rice recipe includes shrimp, which represents wealth and abundance)

Shrimp Fried Brown Rice © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Sticky Rice – Family Cohesiveness

Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice

Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice - traditional Chinese dish featuring Chinese sausage, chicken and shitake mushrooms; 12 minutes cooking time using pressure cooker setting

 

Mom’s Coconut Sticky Rice Cake

(This cake is called “nian gao” which symbolized prosperity every year)

Mom's Coconut Sticky Rice Cake - this is a recipe handed down to me by my mom - it's like rice pudding and is perfect for celebrating Chinese New Year

Shrimp – wealth and abundance

Stir-Fry Shrimp with Thai Roasted Chili Paste

Shrimp with Thai Chili Paste © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Noodles – long life

Stir Fry Noodles with Chicken, Shitake Mushrooms and Chinese Vegetables

(These noodles also contain shitake mushrooms which symbolize longevity and Chinese vegetables which symbolize close family ties)

Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

 

Dan Dan Mien  (Steamy Kitchen)
Dan Dan Mein

Dan Dan Mien (Chinese Takeout Cookbook)

Szechuan Dan Dan Mein

Chinese dumplings – wealth (shaped like ingots, the currency used in old times)

Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings

Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings

Korean Ramen Noodle Bowl with Dumplings

(This noodle bowl also contains noodles which symbolize longevity, green vegetables which symbolize close family ties, and egg which symbolizes prosperity and fertility)

Korean Spicy Soba Noodle Dumpling Soup

Spring Rolls – wealth (they resemble gold bricks)

Florence Lin's Chinese Spring Rolls - traditional Shanghai Spring rolls are light and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. Serve for Chinese New Year or any special occasion

Radish/Turnip – good fortune

Chinese Turnip Cake 

Panfried Chinese Turnip Cake with Oyster Sauce
Mung Bean Noodles (cellophane noodles ) – Silver Chain

Pancit Bihon (Stir-Fry Rice and Mung Bean Noodles with Chicken Shrimp and Vegetables)

(This dish also includes shrimp which symbolizes wealth and abundance)

stir-fry-rice-noodles
Shitake Mushrooms  and Wood Ear Fungus – Longevity

Bamboo Shoots – wealth

Dried Bean Curd – fulfillment of wealth and happiness (fresh tofu is not served because its white color symbolizes death and misfortune)

Day Lily Buds – wealth

Mung Bean Noodles – silver chain

Green Vegetables – close family ties

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - so easy, healthy and delicious

Vegetarian Buddha’s Delight

(packed with “good luck” ingredients like shitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, dried bean curd, day lily buds, mung  bean noodles and green vegetables)

Vegetarian Bhuddas Delight © Jeanette's Healthy Living

Chinese Cabbage – wealth

Quick Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Sweets – safety, good fortune and “sweeten” the New Year

Florence Lin’s Baked Sticky Rice Cake or My Mom’s Baked Coconut Walnut Sweet Rice Cake

(This cake is called “nian gao” which symbolized prosperity every year)

Chinese Coconut Almond Sticky RiceCake

Mom’s Baked Coconut Sticy Rice Red Bean Cake

(This cake is another variation on “nian gao” which symbolized prosperity every year)

My Mom's Chinese Baked Sticky Rice Red Bean Paste Cake - celebrate Chinese New Year with this sticky rice cake that includes a sweet red bean paste filling

Grapes – wealth, abundance, fertility

Oranges – good luck and abundance

Oranges for Chinese New Year

Read this post for more information on Chinese New Year.

Make a few of these Lunar and Chinese New Year recipes to get your New Year off to an auspicious beginning!

Happy New Year Everyone! 

Xin Nian Kuai Le, Gun Hay Fat Choy!!

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Filed Under: Asian, Chinese New Year, healthy choices, Resources Tagged With: Chinese New Year dishes, Chinese New Year recipes, Chinese New Year traditions, Lunar New Year, Lunar New Year dishes, Lunar New Year recipes, Year of the Horse

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Comments

  1. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

    January 25, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    That braised chicken with chestnuts looks spectacular, Jeanette. And turnip cake is definitely a must during the holiday season.
    Gun Hay Fat Choy!
    Angie

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 26, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Happy New Year Angie! Yes, both of these are favorites – the turnip cake is my aunt’s recipe.

      Reply
  2. Ash-foodfashionparty says

    January 26, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    Happy New Year Jeanette!
    That’s a great round up of dishes. The first thing on my to do list is Kimchi this week.
    Have a great week.

    Reply
  3. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says

    January 26, 2014 at 11:24 pm

    Happy New Year girl! I just went down the list and kept clicking them all, I can’t pick a favorite!

    Reply
  4. Kevin @ Closet Cooking says

    January 27, 2014 at 5:45 am

    What a great selection of tasty recipes!

    Reply
  5. Julia says

    January 27, 2014 at 9:53 pm

    These all look amazingly delicious and authentic! I’m hosting a Pinterest party this week and would love for you to join us as we get ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year. http://swirlsandspice.com/2014/01/27/lunar-new-year-recipe-pinterest-party/

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 28, 2014 at 10:35 pm

      Thanks Julia – I just left links to a couple of Lunar New Year recipes for your pinterest party. Thanks for the invite!

      Reply
  6. Kelly says

    January 31, 2014 at 8:44 am

    What a wonderful round up Jeanette! They all look delicious! Hope you and your family have a wonderful CNY celebration 🙂

    Reply
  7. Jeanette says

    February 2, 2014 at 8:49 pm

    Happy New Year to you and your family Kelly!

    Reply
  8. Kim says

    January 26, 2017 at 11:41 am

    Hi Jeanette! The egg roll link is not taking me to the correct page, just FYI. Thanks for all your recipes, going to be trying your aunt’s nian gao recipe today!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 26, 2017 at 5:08 pm

      Thanks for letting me know. I hope you enjoy my aunt’s nian gao!

      Reply
  9. GiGi says

    January 26, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    So um. I don’t even know where to begin with all of these delicious recipes!!!!!!! The braised chicken with chestnuts, the seafood stew – gah!!

    Reply
    • Jeanette says

      January 26, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Thanks GiGi – Happy Lunar New Year!

      Reply

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