8 Common Dishes On The Table During Chinese New Year
Check out some of the dishes you’ll normally see while celebrating the Lunar Year
It’s Chinese New Year and it means firecrackers, color red, and dragon dances in Chinatown. We all know about Tikoy as one of the foods commonly served to celebrate the Lunar Year but there is more to that. Here are eight dishes we often see on the table families feast on.
Dishes During the Lunar Year
Pancit
Pancit or noodles has been a staple in Filipino cuisine and it’s important also during the Lunar Year. It is said that every time you eat noodles, you will have a long life.
Pancit is versatile and you can put anything with it like meat and vegetables. Some of the common pancit dishes include sotanghon, bihon, and canton.
Fish
Fish is a staple during Chinese New Year. According to tradition, eating fish is considered an abundance for families. The usual tradition is that the eldest or head of thefamily eats the fish’s eyeball for goos luck.
The fish dish is always one of the last to be served during the celebration. One of the dishes often seen is a steamed fish with ginger, garlic, leek, and wansoy and another is the head of the fish served in a clay pot with satay which is more than a delicacy.
Dumplings
Who doesn’t love dumplings? Dumplings are a must have whether it be Chinese New Year or just having Chinese food. You can fry them, steam, or even bake. You can even buy dumplings at your local Chinese store or grocery markets.
Legend says that the more you eat dumplings, the more wealth you accumulate. Now, that’s not bad to consume.
Spring rolls
Spring rolls or lumpia is another staple during the Chinese New Year celebration. You can fry it, steam it, or even eat it — deconstructed (AKA lumpiang hubad). Like the dumpling, you can have fun by either putting meat or vegetables, depending on what you want. Some even put Oyster Cake (o-ah-jian).
Spring rolls are easy to make and if you are not in the mood to make your own, you can always go to the supermarket to get ready-to-fry ones or your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Steam pork belly/ pata tim
Pork is another dish that is part of Chinese cuisine. In the Philippines, steamed pork or pata tim is one of the pork dishes served with cuapao bread and sides.
According to Chinahighlights, Pork represents “a rich, prosperous life, wealth, strength, and abundant blessings.”
Other proteins include chicken or duck.
Vegetables
Chinese cuisine would not be complete without vegetables. Some vegetables that are served include lettuce or baby bokchoy. Vegetables symbolize different meanings but usually mean “renewal,” “energy,” or “progress.”
Rice
Rice is essential in all Asian cuisines and in Chinese, it’s a component. It’s always the last to be served during the lauriat. Whether it be white rice or fried rice, a Chinese meal would not be complete without rice.
Machang
Machang / Ma Tsang is a glutinous rice that you can eat by itself. It’s stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or lotus leaves.
It depends on the tradition
Whatever you serve during Chinese New Year depends on how your family celebrates it. The dishes are some of those often seen in Filipino-Chinese families. They vary depending on whether they are modern or traditional, so enjoy the time with family and friends.
More on Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year 2025: Where Families Can Watch The Lion or Dragon Dance
