Introduction
The Chinese New Year also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year is a traditional festival that is observed using the Chinese lunar calendar. Families and communities of Chinese origin celebrate it because it is the traditional Chinese New Year or the start of spring. In 15 days, the populace fully enjoy tasty foods and beverages, visit their relatives and friends, and ask for happy and prosperous new year.
Chinese New Year is also widely associated with different delicious snacks, treats, and dishes that Chinese consider as possessing auspicious significance. The preservation of some traditional CNY goodies experience from generation to generation, whereas current delights are created to fit the current trends.
Here in this wondrous guide, we will identify the best CNY kuih, or Chinese New Year goodies, old school and endearing classic candies or cakes not limited to the CNY, the exciting, and new trendy sweets to relish and share with family and friends in the celebration of Chinese New Year.
Nian Gao
New Year Cake is another popular and local CNY snack which is also known as Nian Gao. A traditional New Year food prepared from glutinous rice flour and sweetened with brown sugar, nian gao signifies advancement in age and richness. They must be eaten during New Year’s time because when said in Chinese, 年糕 (nian gao) sounds like “higher year” which translates to better luck in the following year.
Nian gao comes in a plain form and also flavored with almonds, sesame and coffee. They can be eaten as it is, pan-fried or added to other recipes on its own too including salads. T spent on, it is very popular for consumption during the Lunar New Year and is often bought as a gift for friends and families during this season.
Ang Ku Kueh
In the central and southern region of Fujian Province of China, Ang Ku Kueh is popular and tasty pastry that symbolizes good fortune. They are glutinous rice flour cake filled with sweet peanut paste and carved to look like a tortoise shell.
Tortoise is also known as view a symbol of longevity and prosperity in Chinese culture mythology. Therefore, consumption of ang ku kueh at the Chinese New Year provides the consumers rich and prosperous life spans. These sweet cakes are beautifully packaged on well designed trays and excellent gifts to loved ones.
Love Letters
Love-letters, or Organ biscuits are light, thin, sweet biscuits prepared from flour, sugar and rice flour. The biscuits are made with swirls on them, and they are rolled in creamy and tender rolls with thin cross sections resembling the word love letters.
It is said that the shape of the love letters will bring people happiness and prosperity if people eat them. Also, they represent families and friends come together during the end of year festivities. Love letters are a very popular snack for Chinese New Year since they have a sweet taste and a nice and crunchy texture.
Pineapple Tarts
Well known and highly regarded in Chinese culture pineapple tarts have become inextricable from the celebration of CNY. While these pies are cake-like, crumbly, and golden, they are filled with pineapple jam which is both sweet and a little sour.
The colour gold on the pineapple tart represents wealth and prosperity and the tart in general cherishes good luck and joy. These tasty cookies have also the added bonus in the Chinese culture of bringing sweetness into the life of he who partakes it, and all always love to have these during Chinese New Year.
Kong Ba Bread
Kong ba bread is delicious snack with positive connotations that emerged from the Peranakan traditions of Singapore and Malaysia. This soft and fluffy bun has a wonderful red bean paste fillings that is encased with white sesame seeds.
The red color of the bread is associated with success and happiness and the red bean paste represents richness. The Kong ba bread is not only tasty, but also useful for sharing during the Chinese New Year celebration.
Kueh Lapis
Kueh lapis, or literally the Layered Cake, is a light and colorful cake made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk with layers of colour. Every one is baked to perfection and placed on top of the other to create a visually appealing picture like in this mouth-watering cake.
Kueh lapis represents the concept of aggrandizement in prosperity in as much as every single layer indicates a step in one’s lift that leads to the attainment of prosperity. Due to the lucent colors and tempting taste, it becomes popular food for Chinese New Year’s day meals and other related events.
Homemade Preserves
Another tradition observed in Chinese culture especially during the celebration of the New Year is sharing of homemade relishes including pickled vegetables, olives, preservation of fruits among other natural processed food products. These homemade treats are expected to attract prosperity, good health, and longevity in the lives of the recipients.
From various innovative flavors and bits and pieces, homemade preserve remains a delicious addition to the Chinese New Year’s celebration. These can also be eaten as snacks by themselves or put in soup or cake preparations or even packed and given as gifts to loved ones.
Modern Delights
Similar to all other festivities, the Chinese New Year has slowly developed over the years with the incorporation of new and developing sweets to suit the new generation’s palate. Some of the modern delights that have become increasingly popular during Chinese New Year celebrations include:
- Macarons: This lumch is very popular especially among the young and the elderly the most common flavors are French pastries, and other interesting ones.
- Molten Lava Cakes: Molten lava cakes are another exquisite, luxurious looking and tasty dessert with moist and tender inside.
- Chendol: Originally a dessert originating from certain parts of Southeast Asia, chendol is made with green rice flour jelly, palm sugar syrup, coconut milk and red beans and normally eaten during festive seasons; now it has become one of the popular items during Chinese New Year festivities.
Conclusion
Food plays a pivotal role in Chinese New Year celebrations, and CNY goodies hold a special place in the hearts of many. These festive treats come in a wide variety, blending traditional meanings with modern flavors to suit every palate. From the classic nian gao and ang ku kueh to contemporary delights like macarons and molten lava cakes, there is truly a **CNY goodie** for everyone to enjoy!
Whether you’re hosting a grand dinner for your family or searching for the perfect Lunar New Year gift for your loved ones, don’t forget to indulge in these delicious and auspicious treats. CNY goodies, whether traditional or modern, bring a sense of joy and luck to the festivities, making them a delightful way to celebrate and share the spirit of the season.