13 Lunar New Year Recipes To Welcome the Year of the Snake
Here are 13 recipes from various cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year, including insights into the traditions and tips for cooking.


January 1, the Gregorian New Year, brings with it the promise of salads, smoothies, and more joy. About a month later (this year, it falls on January 29) Lunar New Year arrives. With it comes an abundance of foods that, depending on the culture, bring health and luck.
For Koreans like me, it's the biggest holiday of the year. I'm making mandu (dumplings) and tteokguk (rice cake soup) for my family to welcome in the year of the snake. If this millennia-old tradition is worth its weight, it will bring them great wealth, and they will live healthily until they are 100!
Here are 13 recipes from various cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year, including insights into the traditions and tips for cooking.
Fried Spring Rolls

"Fried spring rolls are typically eaten for the Chinese Lunar New Year because their shape and color are similar to that of a bar of gold, symbolizing wealth and prosperity for the new year." —Vivian Jao, Simply Recipes Contributor
Whole Steamed Fish

"Traditional Chinese dishes are given significance not only because the dish looks impressive or tastes good but also often for the play on words in their names. The Chinese word for fish is a homophone for the word surplus. Thus, you want to leave a little of the fish uneaten so that there will be surplus in the new year." —Vivian
Wonton Soup

"The brands of wonton wrappers I see at my local supermarket tend to be too thick and heavy. The ones I buy are sold in the refrigerated section of Asian markets. They should be thin and square. I prefer the Twin Marquis brand square Hong Kong-style wonton wrappers. Shanghai wrappers are thicker." —Vivian
Nian Gao (Baked Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste)

"There are two stories behind eating Nian Gao for the Lunar New Year. The first is that the translation is "sticky cake" with the homophones also meaning "high year," a reference to advancement.
"The other story has to do with feeding the Kitchen God something sticky so his mouth is stuck shut and he can't report anything negative to the Gods."—Vivian
Sticky Rice with Lạp Xưởng, Dried Shrimp, and Shiitake Mushrooms

"During Tết, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, there are many meals to be had with family, close friends, and colleagues. These meals always include sticky rice, which can be part of a grand feast or as simple as a quick bite to offer guests who are passing by." —Uyen Luu, Simply Recipes Contributor
Lotus, Purple Sweet Potato, and Coconut Rice Pudding

"Food is medicine in the Vietnamese culture. You are what you eat and what you eat is what you reap. This dish is rich with ingredients we value for their nutritional and medicinal benefits." —Uyen
Thịt Kho Trứng (Braised Pork Belly and Eggs)

"Low and slow. That’s the only way to braise the pork belly and eggs. Set the pot over the lowest heat with the lid on." —Uyen
Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

"Everyone’s Mandu looks unique and has their own personal touch. Even if you don’t have any experience filling and shaping them, it shouldn’t cause you stress! It gets easier with practice." —Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, Simply Recipes Contributor
Mandu Guk (Korean Dumpling Soup)

"Although Mandu Guk is eaten throughout the year, for Lunar New Year Koreans add rice cakes called tteokguk tteok, which translates to “rice cakes for rice cake soup.” This makes me chuckle! The rice cakes make it a celebratory meal that symbolizes growing another year older." —Cecilia
Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

"Tteokguk, always served on Seollal, is full of symbolism. The oval shape of the rice cakes symbolizes coins for prosperity. They are cut from long ropes of rice cakes—its length represents long life. The white color symbolizes purity and the fresh start of a new year." —Cecilia
Galbi Jjim 갈비찜 (Korean Braised Short Ribs)

"The ribs used for galbi jjim are cut shorter than the standard English-cut short ribs. They’re short and stocky, 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 to 3 inches high.
"If you can’t get to a Korean market, ask your butcher to cut English-cut ribs crosswise into halves or thirds. If you can find thicker flanken-style ribs, cut the ribs so there is one bone in each portion." —Vivian
Hot and Sour Soup

"The predominant flavors in the soup are spicy and sour with earthy flavors from the mushrooms. The textures are also a contrast between silkiness from the tofu and egg and the crunchy, chewiness of the mushrooms." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder
Chinese Almond Cookies

"Set out a plate of these for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Almond cookies symbolize coins and will be sure to bring you good fortune." —Garrett McCord, Simply Recipes Contributor
This article has been sourced from various publicly available news platforms around the world. All intellectual property rights remain with the original publishers and authors. Unshared News does not claim ownership of the content and provides it solely for informational and educational purposes voluntarily. If you are the rightful owner and believe this content has been used improperly, please contact us for prompt removal or correction.