Lunar New Year is one of the biggest holidays in the Asian culture. It’s like Thanksgiving or Christmas in America. This is the time of the year that family members come together, eat good food, and have a good time. Lunar New Year is widely celebrated within many Asian countries, such as China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. While they all celebrate the same holiday, each country has different customs. The most significant difference is probably food! Here is some traditional dishes that are made for Lunar New Year. Take a look:
1.The Tray of Togetherness – China, Vietnam
On Lunar New Year, wherever you go to relatives’ or friends’ house, you will always see The Tray of Togetherness. It consists of roasted seeds (typically watermelon or sunflower seeds), candies, fruit jelly, and dried fruit. They are the symbol of prosperity, luck, and happiness. Also, they are treated as snacks for guests that come to your house and usually served with hot tea.
2. Longevity noodles – China
It is a symbol of wishing for a long life. These noodles are made of egg and wheat. When served, they are uncut and your job is to keep it as long as possible while eating.
3. Chung & Tet cake – Vietnam
These are the must-have Golden Due of “Tet” – Vietnamese version name for Lunar New Year . Banh Chung and Tet are traditional cakes made specifically for celebrating Lunar New Year. They are made of sticky rice, mung bean paste, black pepper, pork, and other ingredients. Chung cake is in square shape, whereas Tet Cake is in cylinder shape. Chung and Tet Cake represents happiness and prosperity. To cook them, it takes a lot of effort and time, but the result is totally worth it.
4. Caramelized Pork and Eggs – Vietnam
This dish, called Thịt Kho Tàu, is one of the most popular traditional food served during Lunar New Year in Southern Vietnam. It's a slow-cooked dish with the sweet flavor of coconut juice and a beautiful caramel color. It is served with rice, veggies and sometimes rice paper. First day of the year’s meal cannot be completed without this delicious caramelized pork on the table.
5.Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk) – South Korea
New Years wouldn’t be New Years without Tteokguk! This soup contains sliced white rice cake with pork or chicken broth. Eating a bowl of tteokguk symbolizes growing a year older, along with good health and a long life.
6.Honey cookies and rice puffs (gangjeong) – South Korea
Sweet desserts include deep-fried honey cookies and rice puffs, called gangjeong, glazed with honey and oil, which is typically offered to ancestors at memorial ceremonies. It’s supposed to increase health and vitality for the entire year.
