The Lunar New Year, often referred to as Chinese New Year, is a time of profound cultural significance, marked by vibrant traditions, family reunions, and an abundance of symbolic foods. In Chinese culture, where superstitions play a significant role, specific dishes and culinary practices are meticulously followed to ensure good fortune, prosperity, and health for the coming year, while also warding off negative spirits. The selection of food is not merely about taste; each dish carries a deeper meaning, representing hopes and wishes for a bountiful future. From the ingredients used to the way they are prepared and served, every detail contributes to ushering in a year filled with happiness and success.

To fully embrace the spirit of this festive occasion and understand the intricate connection between food and fortune, it’s essential to know which dishes bring good luck and which practices to avoid. This guide delves into the culinary traditions of Chinese New Year, highlighting popular recipes and their auspicious symbolism. Click here for a larger visual representation of these festive traditions and lucky foods.

Gong Hay Fat Choy! May your New Year be prosperous and filled with joy!

Essential Chinese New Year Recipes for Prosperity and Luck

Celebrating Chinese New Year is a feast for the senses, and at its heart lies a spread of delectable dishes, each imbued with symbolic meaning. These traditional foods are not just delicious; they are carefully chosen to invite good fortune, health, and happiness into the home for the coming year. Let’s explore some of the most cherished recipes that grace the festive tables during this auspicious time.

Discover a collection of classic Chinese New Year recipes, each designed to bring specific blessings:

1. My Mother’s Famous Chinese Egg Rolls or Vegetable Spring Rolls with video. These crispy delights are a must-have for the New Year, as their golden-brown, cylindrical shape strikingly resembles gold bars, symbolizing immense wealth and prosperity for the year ahead.
2. Chinese Boiled Pork Dumplings. Another cornerstone of the New Year feast, dumplings are traditionally shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots. Eating them is believed to usher in great wealth and good fortune, making them an indispensable part of the celebrations.
3. Pan Fried Shrimp & Pork Potstickers. These delicious pan-fried dumplings, often filled with a savory mix of shrimp and pork, also symbolize wealth due to their resemblance to ancient currency. Their crispy bottom and tender top offer a delightful texture contrast, promising a year filled with delightful surprises and prosperity.
4. Shrimp Fried Rice. Shrimp, with its bright red color and a name that sounds like “haha” in Cantonese, represents happiness and joy. Incorporating shrimp into dishes like fried rice is a way to invite laughter and cheer into the new year, making this a popular and vibrant dish.
5. Chinese Broccoli Beef Noodles. Long noodles are perhaps one of the most potent symbols of longevity in Chinese cuisine. It is crucial to serve and eat them without breaking them, as this signifies a long and healthy life. This hearty stir-fry combines tender beef and nutritious broccoli with these essential noodles.
6. Fresh Pear and Shrimp Stir Fry. This light and refreshing stir-fry again features shrimp, reinforcing the wish for happiness and joy. The addition of fresh pear brings a subtle sweetness and crispness, creating a balanced dish that promises a sweet and joyful year.

Continue your culinary journey with these additional symbolic dishes, each holding a special place in New Year celebrations:

1. Long Life Fertility Noodles and Happy Shrimp. This dish combines the powerful symbols of longevity (noodles) and happiness (shrimp), along with an emphasis on fertility, making it a comprehensive wish for a prosperous family life and extended good health.
2. Chinese Lettuce Cups. In Cantonese, the word for lettuce (sang choy) sounds like “rising fortune,” making lettuce cups a popular choice to symbolize growth in wealth and prosperity. These light and flavorful wraps are a refreshing addition to any festive table.
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice. For Chinese New Year, it is customary to serve whole chicken or duck, as a whole animal symbolizes wholeness, family unity, and good health for the entire family. It is vital to cook and serve the chicken whole, only carving it at the table. Carving it beforehand is believed to “cut” away your family’s health and fortune.
4. Chinese Tea Eggs. These beautifully marbled eggs, steeped in a savory tea mixture, are a delightful snack or appetizer. Eggs, in general, symbolize fertility and completeness, while tea eggs specifically represent prosperity and gold because of their cracked, vein-like patterns.
5. Chinese Whole Steamed Fish. Fish is another critical dish for the New Year, symbolizing abundance and surplus (nian nian you yu), as the word for fish (yu) sounds like “surplus.” Serving a whole fish signifies a complete and prosperous year, with enough to spare. It’s often customary to leave some fish for the next day, ensuring that the abundance carries over.
6. Stir Fried Beef with Nectarines. Nectarines are celebrated for their vibrant color and sweet taste, symbolizing happiness, health, and a fruitful life. Combining them with savory beef creates a unique stir-fry that is both delicious and symbolic of a joyous and healthy year.

For even more delightful and auspicious recipes, be sure to explore the full collection of Chinese New Year Recipes on Steamy Kitchen!

Expanded Collection of Auspicious Lunar New Year Recipes

Beyond the core traditional dishes, many other delicious recipes are enjoyed during the Lunar New Year, each contributing to the festive spirit and wishes for a fortunate year. This extensive list includes beloved classics and modern interpretations from various culinary experts, ensuring a diverse and exciting menu for your celebrations.

Thai Larb Lettuce Cups from the esteemed White on Rice Couple, Diane and Todd, offer a fresh and vibrant alternative to traditional lettuce wraps, still embodying the “rising fortune” symbolism of lettuce.

Dan Dan Mien from Jeannette’s Healthy Living presents a classic Sichuan noodle dish, known for its spicy and savory flavors, perfect for a warming winter celebration.

Jiaozi Dumplings, a staple from Nate & Mary Kate on Epicurious, are synonymous with wealth and are expertly detailed in their Chinese cookbook Feeding the Dragon! These handmade parcels of joy are believed to bring prosperity as they resemble ancient Chinese silver ingots.

Chicken Lettuce Cups, also by Nate & Mary Kate on Epicurious, provide another delightful way to enjoy the symbolic “rising fortune” of lettuce, with a savory chicken filling.

Stir Fried Prawns with XO Sauce from Noob Cook, where prawns symbolize happiness and liveliness, enhanced by the rich umami of XO sauce.

Stir Fried Leeks with Vegetable by Noob Cook, a simple yet flavorful dish that brings freshness to the festive table.

Chinese Almond Chicken from Appetite for China, a comforting and flavorful chicken dish that is always a crowd-pleaser.

Braised Bok Choy from Taste Hong Kong, a nutritious green vegetable dish. Leafy greens represent growth and prosperity.

Sichuan Wontons by Appetite for China, offering a spicy kick to your New Year’s spread, symbolizing wealth in a different form from dumplings.

Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (Sui Mai) from Flavor Explosions, these open-top dumplings are a dim sum favorite and perfect for sharing good fortune.

Steamed Chicken in Lotus Leaf by RasaMalaysia, a fragrant and tender chicken dish that embodies wholeness and family unity, similar to serving a whole chicken.

Stir Fried Pine Nuts with Corn and Peas from RasaMalaysia, a vibrant dish whose name translates to “full of gold and jade,” signifying wealth and preciousness.

Stir Fried Broccoli and Scallop by RasaMalaysia, symbolizing “richness and abundance” with the premium ingredients. Broccoli, being green, also implies growth.

Baked BBQ Pork Buns from RasaMalaysia, a savory pastry that’s a delightful treat for any festive occasion.

Soy Sauce Chicken by RasaMalaysia, a classic dish. Remember the tradition: serve your chicken whole and carve at the table to preserve family health and unity.

Flank Steak with Fried Noodles from Food Network, combining robust flavors with the essential longevity noodles.

Ketchup Prawns by Sea Salt with Food, offering a tangy and sweet take on the happiness-symbolizing prawns.

Egg Dumplings from Show Shanti, a lighter alternative to traditional flour-based dumplings, still carrying the symbolism of wealth.

Homemade Chili Oil from Show Shanti, perfect for adding an auspicious fiery kick to your New Year dishes.

Singapore Black Pepper Crab by Sea Salt with Food, a luxurious and flavorful dish that symbolizes abundance and a thriving year.

Chinese Long Beans from Washington Post, where the extended length of the beans explicitly symbolizes longevity.

Chinese Almond Cookies from Simply Recipes, known for their beautiful golden hue and delicate flavor, symbolizing gold and good fortune.

Fortune Cookie Recipe by Martha Stewart, a fun and engaging dessert that brings sweet messages of luck and hope.

Fortune Cookie Recipe video from Cookbook Maniac, providing expert tips for crafting these beloved sweet treats.

Chocolate Fortune Cookies by Martha Stewart, a decadent twist on the classic fortune cookie, adding a rich flavor to your good wishes.

Vegetarian Buddha’s Delight from Epicurious, a cleansing and auspicious dish (Jai) made with various vegetables, symbolizing wealth and good health from the earth’s bounty.

Orange Peking Duck, a recipe from Ken Hom, author of Ken Hom’s Top 100 Stir Fry Recipes. Duck, like chicken, is served whole to symbolize completeness and prosperity.

Sweet & Sour Pork, a recipe from Grace Young, author of Breath of a Wok. This popular dish balances flavors, symbolizing a well-balanced and harmonious year.

Buddha’s Delight with Tofu & Broccoli from Cooking Light, a wholesome and symbolic vegetarian option for purification and a fresh start.

Peanut Sesame Noodles from Appetite for China, a rich and nutty noodle dish ensuring long life and prosperity.

Soy Sauce Chicken by Appetite for China, a classic preparation that, when served whole, signifies family unity and good health.

Water Chestnut Cake with Ginger by Appetite for China, a sweet and refreshing dessert.

Dragon Well Tea Shrimp from Appetite for China, an elegant dish combining the happiness of shrimp with the sophistication of Dragon Well tea.

Dan Dan Mian, another delightful rendition from Appetite for China, bringing spicy warmth to your New Year table.

Stir Fried Noodles, Taiwanese Style from Explore Hong Kong, an excellent choice for embracing the symbolism of longevity with a distinct regional flavor.

Chinese New Year Cake from Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook, known as Nian Gao, which literally means “year cake” and sounds like “higher year,” symbolizing rising prosperity and a better year ahead.

Scallion Pancakes from Tigers and Strawberries, a universally loved savory snack, perfect for sharing.

Chinese White Cut Chicken from Sunday Nite Dinner, a simple yet elegant preparation. Remember to serve it whole for the blessings of health and unity, carving it at the table.

Tea Smoked Duck from Cooking Channel, an aromatic and flavorful way to enjoy whole duck, symbolizing completeness and good fortune.

Nian Gao Cake by Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook, reinforcing the wish for continuous improvement and success in the coming year.

Shanghai Style Nian Gao from Donna Cooks, a savory version of the “year cake” that promises “rising higher each year,” a particularly cherished dish for many families, especially from Shanghai.

Stir Fried Shanghai Nian Gao by mmm-yoso, showcasing a versatile way to prepare this symbolic cake in a savory stir-fry.

Lion’s Head Meatballs from NY Times, where the large, round meatballs symbolize family togetherness and unity, and the lion represents strength and good luck.

Fuchsia Dunlop’s Braised Pork Belly by Cookbook Maniac, a rich and deeply flavorful dish, often symbolizing prosperity and good fortune due to the richness of pork.

Chinese Walnut Cookies from Lily’s Wai Sek Hong, a delightful treat with a pleasant crunch, perfect for festive snacking.

Paper Lined Cup Sponge Cake by Lily’s Wai Sek Hong, a light and airy dessert that can symbolize rising fortunes due to its fluffy texture.

Dragon Cookies from Lily’s Wai Sek Hong, a creative and fun idea, as the dragon is a powerful symbol of luck, strength, and good fortune in Chinese culture.

Almond Cookie Crescents by Lily’s Wai Sek Hong, a delicate and flavorful variation of almond cookies.

Double Sided Gold Noodles from Lily’s Wai Sek Hong, a favorite for many, signifying longevity and a rich, golden future.

Steamed Pork Bun Recipe and how to fold Chinese buns video by Christine’s Recipes, offering fluffy buns filled with savory pork, symbolizing prosperity.

Braised Chinese Mushrooms from Christine’s Recipes, an easy yet essential dish, as whole Chinese mushrooms represent longevity and good luck. This simple preparation is often present on New Year tables.

Egg Custard Pastry by Christine’s Recipes, featuring a brilliant “cheater crust” for a delightful and easy-to-make dessert.

Stir Fried Glutinous Rice by Christine’s Recipes, a hearty and satisfying dish that promises cohesion and prosperity.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Fish Fillet from Christine’s Recipes, combining the health benefits of broccoli with the abundance of fish.

Tomato Chili Prawns by Christine’s Recipes, a vibrant and flavorful dish emphasizing the symbolism of shrimp for laughter and joy.

Butter Cookies by Christine’s Recipes, a simple yet elegant treat to share during the festive season.

Braised Chinese Mushrooms from Christine’s Recipes, a flavorful and easy addition to any New Year feast, traditionally symbolizing longevity.

Baked Coconut Cake from Christine’s Recipes, a sweet and tropical dessert to round off the meal.

Radish Cake (Lo Bak Go) by Christine’s Recipes, a savory dim sum staple that is often enjoyed during New Year for its delicious flavor and comforting texture.