The Chinese New Year, often called the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, is that union of loved ones to celebrate the beginning of another year. Dishes and sweets that are prepared based on the concept of this island can be enjoyed at every corner of the festival where Sri Lankan culture and food dominate the celebration. This article brings out ten CNY goodies that you should not miss to have in your New Year celebration.
1. Nian Gao (年糕)
Nian Gao is one of the commonly consumed products during Chinese New Year period more especially among the Chinese living in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. This cake is sticky, sweet, and soft and is prepared from glutinous rice flour, sugar and sometimes coconut, red bean or five kernels. Nian Gao, which means year cake, is the homonym of higher year, so it connects success in the coming New Year.
2. Pineapple Tarts (凤梨酥)
Another popular item that is also popular with Chinese all year round but famous during CNY is Pineapple Tarts or Fun Lin Sui. They are little pastries of a buttery, flaky crust containing a sweet and tangy pineapple jam that imitates the crunch and sweetness of the exotic fruit. Lunar New Year is a time when Pineapple Tarts are widely enjoyed because of their rich colors and sweet taste which signifies prosperity or wealth.
3. Love Letters (鸡蛋卷)
Love Letters are also called Egg Roll is another kind of Chinese New Year treat Sil 2011, p.281. The fragile and crunchy sweets are prepared by beating eggs with sugar and flour, the most well-known are thin strips similar to fettuccine called ‘love letters’. These soft and fluffy breads are sliced, fried and then dusted lightly with icing sugar so they can be accompanied with coffee and served to families and friends.
4. Bak Kwa (肉干)
Lunar New Year food: Bak Kwa is one of the all time favorite foods during the celebration and it is Chinese barbecued meat. Originally eaten with pork or beef, Bak Kwa is easily sliced and infused in a sauce of sugar, soy sauce, and spices and slowly barbecued until it is soft and glossy. Well, the rich and savory flavor boosts it up to be a snack or appetizer and enjoyed when people are going from friend’s place to another to make celebration.
5. Tang Yuan (汤圆)
Tang Yuan or rice balls are a delicious dish preferred during the Chinese New Year by many. Mochi is a kind of sweet dumpling produced from glutinous rice flour and filled with black sesame, red bean or peanut and others. Tang Yuan is traditionally eaten in a ginger sugar soup or osmanthus sugar soup to bind the family members together.
6. Pineapple Bun (菠蘿包)
Chinese bakery Pineapple Buns or Bo Lo Bao consist of sweet and sometimes savoury bun that is topped with a layer of buttery crust. The buns consist of a layer of thin and crispy crust with corresponding buttery richness and tender interior. The exterior crust bakes to a crispy and caramelized brown color some people claiming it resembles a pineapples skin. Pineapple Buns are more so taken during Lunar New Year since there is always a belief that the buns will bring happiness and good fortunes.
7. Peanut Pancakes (花生煎饼)
Huasheng Jianbing or Peanut Pancakes, is a snack sold on the streets A ppt and is especially consumed during the Chinese New Year. These are prepared from a thin layer of grounded wheat flour porridge spread on a hot flagon and toppings of crushed roasted peanuts, finely chopped green onions with seasoning from soy sauce. The fried crispy and peanuts flavoured pancakes are ideal to enjoy especially when shopping and moving from one place to another during the life Lunar New Year celebrations.
8. Lotus Seeds Paste Bun (莲蓉包)
Lianrong Bao or Lotus Seeds Paste Buns is sweet delicacies, and is quite popular for consumption during the Chinese New Year celebration. These soft and fluffy buns envelop a very delicious lotus seeds paste, which is prepared from lotus seeds that have been ground, sugar as well as several spices among others. The buns are mainly steamed or baked, it gives a tender texture to the outer part which is suitable to go with the sweet taste of the filling.
9. Sweet Potato Cake (地瓜布丁)
It is known as the Sweet Potato Cake or Diguabuding, especially to the Chinese people since it is probably consumed during the Chinese New Year. This rich and creamy pudding consists of potatoes cooked by mashing, milk, sugar, and tapioca starch and requires steaming or baking to set. For those who prefer sweet taste and soft texture, Cake made from sweet potato can be perfect treat to be served during the Lunar New Year.
10. New Year Cookies (年糕饼)
New Year Cookies otherwise known as Nian Gao Bing is a tasty and entertaining bake that is commonly prepared during the Chinese New Year occasion. This cookies are crispy and sweet, a dough of glutinous rice flour and sugar can be flavour with sesame, nuts or coconut. The green tea cookies are then pressed onto the Nian Gao or year cake and baked to golden brown and represent wishing for success and prosperity for the coming year.
Lastly, the Chinese New Year is a celebration of joy, togetherness, and indulgence in traditional CNY goodies. Among the top 10 treats are sweet and sticky delights alongside savory and crunchy morsels—a perfect array of Lunar New Year cookies and snacks to fully embrace the rich culinary culture of this festive season.
This year, elevate your celebrations by indulging in these nostalgic and meaningful traditional CNY goodies. Share the love and flavors with your family and friends, creating memories over these timeless treats that symbolize prosperity and happiness. Gong Xi Fa Cai! (恭喜发财!) May your Lunar New Year be filled with joy, abundance, and great tastes!