Buzz
For Asians, the Lunar New Year is a time to prepare and enjoy dishes believed to bring good luck. In Japan, you'll be invited to enjoy Soba noodles, in South Korea, it's Tteokguk rice cake soup, and in the land of a million elephants, Laos, it's the flavorful Larp.
Soba Noodles (Japan)
Soba Noodles are a longstanding traditional dish in Japan. The noodle strands are made from buckwheat or a combination of buckwheat and wheat. The broth for Soba noodles is a distinctive blend of Dashi broth, Mirin sauce, and Koikuchi soy sauce.
Japanese embrace Soba noodles and breathe in the fresh air of the new year
In Japan, the belief is that the long, thick strands of Soba noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity. About 800 years ago, during the Kamakura period, a temple started offering Soba noodles to the poor during the New Year. Since then, this type of noodles is commonly consumed during the transition to the new year, wishing for longevity and abundance.
Eating Soba noodles carries additional meanings and hopes. The noodles are easily breakable, so consuming them is thought to cut away the misfortune of the old year, welcoming good luck in the new year.
Tteokguk Rice Cake Soup (South Korea)
Eating Tteokguk rice cake soup is a Korean New Year tradition. In this country, instead of asking children their age, you might inquire, 'How many times have you eaten Tteokguk?' because consuming a bowl of Tteokguk signifies growing one year older. On the first morning of Seollal (Korean traditional New Year), every family member gathers to enjoy this soup, hoping for a new year filled with health and luck.
Tteokguk Soup – A Dish Bringing Luck in the Korean New Year
Tteokguk soup is made from Korean rice cakes. The white color of the rice cakes symbolizes purity, the long strands represent lasting happiness, and the coin-shaped rice cakes are pressed thin with the desire for abundant wealth. The broth for the soup is made from boiled beef or chicken. A few slices of beef or pork are often placed on top. Accompanying vegetables are usually green onions or thinly sliced red chili. This soup can be served with kimchi for added rich flavor.
Dim Sum (China)
Dim Sum, seen as a part of Chinese culinary culture, becomes a symbol of gatherings during the Lunar New Year. Families come together to make dim sum, wishing for luck and prosperity in the coming year. Shaped like golden ingots, Chinese entrepreneurs believe that consuming these 'gold bars' will bring business success and fortune in the new year.
For the Chinese, eating dim sum at the beginning of the new year is a way to 'request and wish for' favorable outcomes.
Dim sum, also known as Chẻo cake or 'jiao zi' in Chinese (meaning folded or wrapped pieces), involves a meticulous process of preparing the filling and wrapping. The filling is usually a mixture of finely minced meat and vegetables. In Chinese, mixing vegetables with meat sounds similar to the phrase 'have abundance.' Therefore, when making dim sum, if the chopping process is loud and lasts a long time, it is believed that wealth will be 'abundant and enduring' in the new year.
Traditional dim sum is wrapped in a crescent moon shape. In some rural areas, people imprint the shape of rice ears on the dim sum, symbolizing a bountiful harvest in the new year. Some even pull the two ends of the crescent moon together, resembling a compressed silver, signifying wealth and prosperity.
Yu Sheng Raw Fish Salad (Malaysia)
Yu Sheng is considered a dish that brings luck in the Malaysian Chinese New Year. In Chinese, Yu Sheng means abundance and prosperity. This dish consists of thinly sliced raw fish (usually tuna or salmon sashimi style), finely chopped vegetables resembling a salad, and evenly drizzled sauce. All ingredients are finely cut and arranged on a large plate, harmonizing in colors.
People in Malaysia explain the significance of each added ingredient to this dish: they add carrots to wish for luck, include radishes and cucumbers for eternal youth and continuous advancement, pour oil on top to enhance prosperity, sprinkle peanuts symbolizing wealth, and sesame seeds imply career advancement.
Yu Sheng – one of the lucky dishes among the Malaysian Chinese
Enjoying this dish is quite unique; everyone gathers around the dining table, mixes the salad plate thoroughly, and the higher you scoop, the more luck you'll have. Shout out wishes of good fortune before indulging in this delightful feast.
Laap Dish (Laotian)
Laap in the Laotian language signifies abundance and luck. Therefore, no Laotian New Year feast is complete without the Laap dish. Despite its simplicity, great care is taken in its preparation. If the Laap doesn't taste good, it's believed that misfortune may follow throughout the year.
Laap is a dish intimately tied to the simple life of the Laotian people.
Laap is crafted from finely minced lean meat (usually chicken, duck, beef, pork, deer...) mixed thoroughly with minced heart, liver, and a blend of spices (lime, galangal, lemongrass) along with a touch of toasted sticky rice. Sprinkled on top are some sprigs of culantro or coriander. Laap is often enjoyed with Laotian sticky rice, tender and chewy.
Chưng Cake/Tet Cake (Vietnam)
On every Vietnamese Tet, you'll find Chưng Cake and Tet Cake. These aren't just dishes bringing luck in the new year; they also embody profound meanings about the universe and human life.
On the day of Spring, every family member gathers to savor the delightful aroma of Tet Cake. Tet Cake comes in various sweet and savory fillings, depending on the host's preference. While Tet Cakes in Saigon are purely made with glutinous rice and mung beans, those in the Western region boast a more colorful variety.
The square shape of Chưng Cake symbolizes the earth. Having Chưng Cake during Tet reflects the Vietnamese people's wish for abundant land (sticky rice, mung beans) and prosperity (fatty pork). Additionally, the cake is wrapped in green leaves with the filling inside resembling the image of parents protecting their children. Wrapping Chưng Cake is also a way for people to express respect to their parents every Spring.
Chưng Cake is often enjoyed with pickled onions.
Tet Cake is a later variation of Chưng Cake. Tet Cake is typically found in the South, symbolizing the gentle, genuine, and simple nature of the people in this region. Thus, Tet Cake is often made in a simpler form, wrapped in a 'don' shape, a slender cylindrical form.
On the day of Spring, every family member gathers to savor the delightful aroma of Tet Cake.
Bánh tét comes in various sweet and savory fillings, depending on the host's preference. While Tet Cakes in Saigon are purely made with glutinous rice and mung beans, those in the Western region boast a more colorful variety.
With Tet Cakes in a spectrum of colors, the Tet feast becomes more enticing and unique.
Thus, even though the New Year's dish differs in each Asian country, they all convey wishes for a fortunate, prosperous, and happy new year for the people.
Posted by: Tiềm Đinh Thị
Keywords: Fortunate Asian New Year's Dishes
