10 Chinese New Year Foods That Will Get You Ready for the Year of the Rabbit

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Gather your loved ones and prepare your table for the feasts of Lunar New Year, which begins this year on Sunday, January 22, and ushers in the Year of the Rabbit.

Known as mandoo in Korean, gyoza in Japanese, or jiǎozi in Mandarin Chinese, dumplings are versatile savory morsels served at many Lunar New Year celebrations.

Known as “long-life noodles” or “longevity noodles,” and called chángshòu miàn in some parts of China, these noodles eaten on Lunar New Year can be as long as two feet and are served uncut, either fried or submerged in a broth. According to myth, the longer the noodle you eat, the longer you’ll live.

A popular Chinese treat for the holiday is glutinous rice balls, also called yuánxiāo or tāngyuán, that can be prepared sweet or savory.

Similar to fried spring rolls found in Chinese cuisine, lumpia are a common Lunar New Year food served in the Philippines and Indonesia

For Seollal, Korea’s Lunar New Year, people eat tteokguk, which is a rice cake soup made with water, beef, green onion, and egg. Centering thin white disk-shaped rice cakes that resemble coins, this soup symbolizes new beginnings and a clean slate that invites good luck.

Refreshing, satisfying and symbolic, tangerines are a common gift and snack during Lunar New Year. Tangerines are considered lucky fruit because the Cantonese word for tangerine is similar to the word for wealth.

A common feature on many Lunar New Year menus, fish, especially when served whole, is said to represent wholeness, abundance, and prosperity for the coming year

While sesame balls are found in Chinese bakeries and restaurants throughout the year, they take on a special meaning during Lunar New Year: that of expanding luck.

Sweet, supple and soft in texture, this cake, also known as nian gao, is a popular Chinese sweet dessert eaten during Lunar New Year. The cake is made of rice flour and brown sugar and can be eaten plain, dipped in condensed milk for an extra sweet kick or pan-fried for some crisp.

Round and golden when baked, almond cookies are said to resemble coins and symbolize good fortune and prosperity for the eater. Topped with a single almond that can be blanched or toasted, these cookies are a simple dessert to make and simply irresistible.

Gather your loved ones and prepare your table for the feasts of Lunar New Year, which begins this year on Sunday, January 22, and ushers in the Year of the Rabbit.

Known as mandoo in Korean, gyoza in Japanese, or jiǎozi in Mandarin Chinese, dumplings are versatile savory morsels served at many Lunar New Year celebrations.

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10 Chinese New Year Foods That Will Get You Ready for the Year of the Rabbit

Gather your loved ones and prepare your table for the feasts of Lunar New Year, which begins this year on Sunday, January 22, and ushers in the Year of the Rabbit.