Lunar New Year is not only a time for cleaning the house, exchanging greetings and red envelopes of money, but also a time when each family prepares delicious, nutritious dishes with auspicious meanings. On the New Year's feast table, each dish is not simply for enjoyment but also conveys wishes for a prosperous, successful, and lucky new year.
Bitter melon soup
Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, is a familiar dish on the Tet (Lunar New Year) dinner table of many families. Even the name itself conveys a clear message: the hardships and worries of the past year will pass, making way for a new year filled with peace and positive energy.
Bitter gourds stuffed with minced meat and wood ear mushrooms, cooked until tender, symbolize abundance and prosperity. Beyond its spiritual significance, bitter gourd is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and natural compounds beneficial for blood sugar control, making it a common remedy for cooling the body and detoxifying.
Braised pork with eggs
Every year during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), many Vietnamese families prepare pots of braised pork with eggs several days in advance. The pot of braised pork belly with eggs, with its glossy brown color and rich flavor, has long been a familiar sight in the kitchen during the spring season.
The combination of square pieces of meat and round eggs is considered a symbol of yin-yang harmony, prosperity, and wealth. In the South, people often stew a large pot of meat (about 1-2 kg) and more than a dozen duck eggs to eat gradually and to entertain guests, maintaining a warm and cozy atmosphere during the New Year. This dish is usually served with pickled shallots, pickled cucumbers, or pickled cabbage to balance the flavors.
Fish
In East Asian culture, fish is considered a lucky food, often appearing in the New Year's meal. It's believed that eating the whole fish, from head to tail, symbolizes a wish for everything to go smoothly from beginning to end.
In Chinese, the word for "fish" sounds similar to the word for "abundance," symbolizing plenty and plenty. Therefore, many families even set aside some fish after a meal as a way of implying they always have something left over for the whole year.
Lucky Dumplings
Shaped like lucky money bags, these dumplings are considered a symbol of good fortune, wealth, and blessings. A traditional dish of the Chinese community, they are often served during Lunar New Year celebrations or family gatherings at the beginning of the year.
The soft, chewy dough wrapper encloses a filling of vegetables, shrimp, and minced meat, then is tied with a blanched scallion and steamed until cooked. The mildly sweet and refreshing vegetable filling, combined with its appealing appearance, has made this dish increasingly popular at New Year's celebrations as a modern twist while still conveying a message of good fortune.
Gac sticky rice
Gac fruit is a familiar ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine , especially prominent in gac sticky rice dishes on the Tet (Lunar New Year) feast table. Its vibrant red color symbolizes good fortune, joy, and prosperity, making it almost indispensable during the first days of the new year.
Beyond its spiritual significance, gac fruit is also rich in nutrients and lycopene – antioxidants beneficial for the eyes and cell protection. The sticky, chewy texture of the sticky rice is also likened by many to holding onto good fortune, hoping for a smooth and prosperous new year.
Fig
As its name suggests, the fig symbolizes abundance and prosperity, and is therefore often included in the Vietnamese five-fruit offering.
The slightly astringent taste of fresh figs can be a bit difficult to eat, so many families choose pickled figs to serve with their Tet (Lunar New Year) meals, both to counteract the richness and to add flavor. In addition, figs are also used in braised meat and fish dishes, creating rustic yet quintessential springtime meals.
Source: https://znews.vn/an-gi-may-man-ca-nam-post1628635.html
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