Introduction
Chinese New Year or CNY is another festival that is characterized by lovely decorations, reunion and delicious munching. Whatever the occasion that families celebrate to welcome a new year, these mouth watering foods bring out the flavor of tradition rooted from centuries back. Most sweets that signify CNY are centuries or even millennia old, with many traditions remaining important for one reason or another. From home-baked cookies to bought gourmet treats, food enjoys a high profile status in this celebration.
Here are some all time CNY favorite to find the culture and history behind the food we eat.
Nian Gao (Sticky Rice Cake)
Carnival desserts of choice During the Chinese New Year, it would be terrible not to serve nian gao, which literally translates to ‘ higher year cake. That is why this glutinous rice treat is known in Chinese as Nian Gao which translates as ‘new year tall’, as families increase the height of the cake each year to symbolize prosperity. This makes clear it conveys people’s desire to enjoy more in the coming year and make it sweeter.
The folklore goes that nian gao has its roots way back the Han Dynasty, more than 2000 years ago. According to folklore, one of the most popular stories of Chinese New Year is that of Zhan Nian that was a fierce apprentice who protected the gates of the city against a certain beast who usually attacked on New Year’s Eve. In memory of Zhan Nian, people boiled sticky rice cake in the shape of sword sheath and consumed them so as to gain power to overcome whatever animals the New Year would bring.
Gradually, cooks elevated rice cakes from a rough grain product into a delicacy; the flavors range from brown sugar to red bean, followed by coconut. As recipes changed, what remained paramount in the meaning for nian gao was to reunite families for the promise of fortune.
Pineapple Tarts
What spread for CNY would be complete without this bright and sunny dessert? Pineapple tarts are one of the most popular CNY snacks and, similar to other sweet treats mentioned earlier, are traditional company for this festive season, in the homes in China and Chinese households around the glob. This is where their meaning lies – pineapples hold such aspects as prosperity, luck and harmony, ideal elements with which to start a brand new year.
Thanks to pineapple tarts’ evolution into a signature CNY delicacy, numerous stories explain how the delicacy was developed throughout the years. As for some other sources, they state that there were tribute pastries in the form of pines that were traditionally served to the Emperor during the Lunar New Year festivities today pineapple tins are a symbol of the holiday.
Other stories give credit to the creation of the revolutionary tart to the food entrepreneurialism of the Nanyang diaspora. When Chinese emigrants went to tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia to reside, they tended pineapples. Introduction of the symbolic fruit into CNY celebrations, Nanyang bakers developed the first pineapple tart form, to share it with neighbours back home.
Despite that pineapple tarts are unsure of its origination, its importance has not changed as a traditional food. The spikey skin and soft sugary inside of a pineapple reminds one of difficult characterized by thorns giving way to prosperous characterized by the sweet fruit in the year ahead. Their cheery colors and groups to enjoy brightens connections of fellowship.
Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)
Round and chewy, tang yuan sinks in sweet soups or fermented rice wine to symbolise a typical CNY sweet course. During new year eve family members assemble to shape glutinous rice dough into small balls filled with fillings sweet or salty such as black sesame or red bean paste or meat or vegetable. Even more beautiful are impressions of fish and flowers together with peaches which convey a good message. The mechanical activity unites dear ones while disclosing desires for getting together with loved ones in the forthcoming year.
Through its round shape as well as in their pronunciation pen are associated with tang yuan and the lantern festival which marks the end of the fifteen days CNY. Tang yuan in Chinese has the same pronunciation with tuanyuan which means reunion. Consuming these sticky pieces of rice while observing beautiful hanging warm lanterns represents coming together of families that were separated over the last year.
Some tie tang tang yuan all the way back over a span of over 2000 years to China’s Jin Dynasty. When Prince Liu Xuan was coming back from war, which is a happy event, people started eating 汤圆 which is sticky rice Balls in soup. These treats relieved the hardships that could be experienced over the years of fighting for the throne, and cozed the people’s hearts. It was to eat round dumplings to achieve the feelings of complete roundness and harmony in a time of turmoil that established tang yuan’s place in CNY practice.
Meat Jerky
Pieces of meat jerky that is salty and chewy are always present during CNY feasting. In one picture, entire strips of jerky are strung up beneath eaves and red banners flap – every household process meat for the new year.
Prior to the invention of cool rooms, jerking effectively helped to preserve staple sources of proteins. At the end of the year, attractive pieces became extremely delicious after curing them for several months, and were considered special to be relished during such occasions. Its qualities of being preserved also allowed Jerky to be given to relatives or to repaydebt before the New Year did.
From over 2000 years back during Han dynasty imperial documents had documents of yak, horse, oxen as well as deer dried in the sunlight as CNY offerings. Today, pork stands the same position as the jerky of highest value in the context of old China. Whichever way it came about, however, jerky passes Not only time on CNY tables but also because it is effective and tasty.
From small pineapple tarts, the waxy nian gao, the glutinous tang yuan and juicy meat jerky, the tales of CNY are unmasked gradually each year. The sour and saltish and sweet unify history with the present and the future – call up legends of days of yore, link the separated kith and kin and spark new dreams born anew. In every recipe passed down the generations, worthwhile customs go on being passed on to be cherished and awakened again in a generation. With connotations as vibrant as the smells of the spices they hold, it is quite surprising that these snacks remain core to the holiday through the ages.