Asian Spotlight | January 2022
Asian New Year Foods
When it comes to the New Year, family and food are at the top of the list for Asian celebrations. This article will share a few special New Year’s traditional foods of different Asian Countries. When writing about three diverse Asian countries and the traditions of food around the New Year, there is a LOT to digest (pun intended), but hopefully you will be able to see a glimpse/reminisce of the diversity, yet similarities of traditions around the New Year.
Japan - written by Jessica Moy
In Japan, the New Year (Oshogatsu) is celebrated on January 1 and is one of the most important holidays throughout the year. It is a time to spend with family and visit a shrine or temple to receive one’s fortune for the upcoming year. A thorough home cleaning is done in preparation for the New Year, and in more recent times, families spend the evening watching a popular male (white) versus female (red) singing competition called Kohaku Uta Gassen. On New Year’s Eve, Japanese families prepare long buckwheat noodles called Toshikoshi soba, which is eaten to signify longevity. On New Year’s day, families eat a specially prepared meal called Osechi Ryori along with a mochi soup called Ozoni. The New Year meal is served in special packed bento boxes and each dish has a special meaning. The exact dishes vary between region and household, but here is a list of some of the significant foods and meanings:
Black Beans: Represent hard work and are usually made sweet.
Datemaki: Represents scholarship and is a type of sweet rolled egg mixed with fish cake.
Kobumaki/Konbumaki: Represents happiness and is a particular kind of rolled kelp dish called konbu.
Kazunoko: Represents fertility and is herring roe that is usually prepared salty and crunchy.
Shrimp: Another dish representing longevity, shrimp are often found in several variations. They can be large and whole, as tempura, and or peeled.
Gobo: Represents strength and stability and can also be found in several variations. Gobo is burdock root and the most common version is kinpira gobo, a slightly sweet gobo and carrot dish.
What is a popular New Year’s dish that you are used to eating with your family?
China - written by Clifton Moy
In China, the New Year is celebrated based on the lunar calendar and as such the corresponding Gregorian date is different each year. For 2022, the Chinese New Year falls on Feb 1st and the meal that is most celebrated is the New Year’s Eve dinner. The dishes served are selected for their similar sound to other Chinese words that have good fortune tied to them. There are also specific ways some dishes are served/prepared, I will cover the important ones.
First off, fish is served for the dinner as the word “fish” in Chinese sounds similar to the word for extra/surplus. So having the dish is similar to having extra/surplus for the upcoming year. The fish also should be served with the head and tail still intact. This is so the front and tail portions of the fish can be left over to be eaten on New Year’s Day symbolizing that the New Year will start and finish with extra/surplus. The type of fish is also chosen for the fact that the name sounds similar to another good fortune word. Crucian carp is often used for the dish since its name in Chinese sounds like the Chinese word for “good luck.”
Another popular dish is dumplings, dumplings are a classic lucky food. They can be made to look like the gold ingots used as currency in ancient China. The more dumplings one eats signifies the money they can make in the new year. There are many types of Chinese dumplings but certain ones are avoided on the holiday due the symbolism of the ingredients used to make them. Traditionally dumplings with cabbage and radish and a type of meat are desired. These are then placed in a line on the plate not in a circle as a circle implies that one’s life will go around in circles, never getting anywhere.
Next up are Spring Rolls. They get their name because they are normally eaten during the spring festival. Still, they are a popular New Year dish due to their appearance to gold bars. The saying for eating spring rolls for the New Year translates to “A ton of gold”, implying a wish for wealth and prosperity for the New Year. They are made with a thinner wrapper that is smooth when fried. Many confuse egg rolls with spring rolls, egg rolls are made with a thicker wrapper that bubbles up when fried due to the trapped moisture giving them a bumpy texture.
Glutinous Rice Cake also makes its way to the table for New Year’s dinner. The sound of this dish is similar in meaning to getting higher year by year. Meaning the higher you are the more prosperous you are. This applies to things like a rise in success, better grades in school, children growing taller, and promotions at work.
Sweet Rice Balls are eaten as a symbol of Family togetherness. The round shape is associated with reunion and being together. During the New Year much of the celebration is with family thus this dish helps to symbolize the union that a family has and the wish for success for all of the family in the upcoming year.
Noodles are served for their symbol of longevity. For New Year the noodles are special and called Longevity Noodles. They are longer than normal noodles and uncut as they symbolize life. One does not want life cut “short” so symbolically the noodles remain long and uncut.
Tangerines are eaten during the dinner as they symbolize fullness and wealth. The fullness is due to their round shape, and the wealth is due to their golden color. In Chinese the name is similar to the word for “luck.”
Please remember, these are just a few of the many different dishes prepared throughout the Lunar New Year, and as every other Asian country, it varies between region and home. Food is important and a way of showing love to the people we care about, but as we say in Cantonese at the New Year - Gong Hey Fat Choy (Let’s get rich!)
India - written by Meena Shyamasundar
New Year's Day is celebrated throughout the year on numerous days in the different regions of India, which usually fall under the harvest season. Observance is determined depending on which calendar is followed - lunar calendar or solar calendar. This day has several different names in different regions of India; There are about 28 different names, (~14 celebrated during the lunar and ~14 during the solar cycle) each of which have a contrasting and fascinating variety of dishes of its own.
Chaitra Navratri [Lunar New Year]: "Chaitra" means the beginning of a New Year. So the New Year begins with nine (“Nav”) days of prayer, meditation, chanting, recognizing the divinity in the whole creation, and enlivening that aspect. This is dedicated to the nine different forms of Goddess Durga, collectively known as Navdurga.
During the pious days of Navratri, the Hindus skip several ingredients from their meals, according to their family traditions. During the fasting process, people completely avoid onion, garlic, alcohol, meat, and more. From an ayurvedic perspective, these foods attract and absorb negative energies and should be avoided during this seasonal change as the human body tends to have low immunity around this time. Few of the many sumptuous delicacies which are prepared during these times are:
- Sabudana Khichdi: Made of tapioca pearls, this provides instant energy, is non-allergic, good for strengthening bones and regulating blood pressure.
- Ugadi Pachadi: Made of neem flowers, raw mango, tamarind and jaggery water. It is a symbol of our many-faceted lives which find expression in the mix of ingredients.
- Dhokla: A fluffy cake made of rice and lentils, this is rich in proteins, and is said to increase the bioavailability of essential nutrients.
Mesha Sankranti [Solar New Year]: This is a famous festival for the Hindus marked by the day when the Sun enters the Mesha (Aries) zodiac sign. This day is considered highly auspicious to worship the Sun God. The highlights of this festival include holy baths in sacred waters and pilgrimage to holy places. Delicious meals that are prepared during these times are:
- Til ladoo: Made of sesame seeds, jaggery and cardamom powder, this boosts skin, bone and dental health as it is rich in iron and calcium.
- Vishu Kanji: Essentially a rice porridge made with coconut milk, many start their new year with this as their first meal!
- Puran Poli: A common favorite, this is flatbread made from chana flour which is stuffed with jaggery. A rich source of fiber and folate.
- Pongal: Made of rice, lentile, ghee and jaggery, this dish is said to have been prepared by ancestors to celebrate abundance and prosperity after the harvest season. This is rich in proteins and vitamins, has antioxidant properties and contains no cholesterol.
This is just a very, very small example of some of the dishes made in different parts of this huge country. The diversity is what makes it so much fun! Visiting family and friends and enjoying different dishes prepared in different styles is a tradition that will live on forever. What dishes have you tried/tempted to try?