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Lunar New Year is not only the most important holiday of the year but also a unique cultural feature of Asians. It is associated with legends and fairy tales about the fertility and growth of nature and the reunion of families. Although there are many similarities, the New Year's feast in each country has its own distinctive characteristics, reflecting the diverse culinary culture of Asia. Each dish on the feast table carries a profound meaning, conveying good wishes such as health, wealth, luck, and happiness.
Vietnam
The Vietnamese Tet feast is a colorful culinary tapestry, reflecting the richness and sophistication of Vietnamese food culture. Depending on the region, the Tet feast will have its own unique characteristics. The North features jellied meat, bamboo shoot soup, and banh chung (square sticky rice cake); the Central region has nem chua (fermented pork sausage) and banh trang cuon (rice paper rolls); the South has banh tet (cylindrical sticky rice cake) and braised pork with pepper...
Each dish is meticulously prepared, carrying its own distinctive flavors and story. The vibrant green sticky rice cake symbolizes the earth, expressing the gratitude of descendants to their ancestors and the heavens. The golden boiled chicken symbolizes good fortune, the bright red gac fruit sticky rice symbolizes abundance, and the rich, flavorful braised pork symbolizes warmth and comfort...
Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year for Vietnamese people, a time when families offer their ancestors the most precious and delicious products.
Banh chung, a symbol of the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is a square-shaped, emerald-green cake wrapped in fragrant dong leaves, filled with sticky rice, creamy mung beans, and savory pork belly. Banh tet, on the other hand, is a long, cylindrical cake wrapped in banana leaves, offering a distinctive and delicious flavor characteristic of the Mekong Delta. Both banh chung and banh tet are the result of a meticulous and elaborate baking process, reflecting the Vietnamese people's respect for tradition.
Besides, crispy, golden spring rolls are also an indispensable dish on the Tet holiday feast table. With a thin, crispy rice paper wrapper and a filling of minced meat, shrimp, and wood ear mushrooms, they create an irresistible flavor. Each dish carries a profound meaning, representing family unity and reunion, and wishes for a peaceful and happy new year. The aroma of banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), and the crispy texture of spring rolls, have become an inseparable part of the childhood memories of every Vietnamese person.
Simple dishes, but filled with heartfelt sincerity.
Pork jelly, a signature dish of Northern Vietnam, is a culinary masterpiece. Made from simple ingredients like pork trotters or chicken, it transforms into a refined and refreshing dish through the skillful hands of the cook. Meanwhile, braised pork belly offers a rich, savory flavor characteristic of Southern Vietnam. The marinated pork belly, infused with spices and combined with rich coconut milk, creates an irresistible dish. Along with soft-boiled eggs, braised pork belly is an indispensable part of the Tet (Lunar New Year) feast.
Korea
Just like the Vietnamese, South Koreans celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year on the first day of the first lunar month, called Seollal. Along with the Mid-Autumn Festival, this is the most important holiday of the year for Koreans, not only marking the transition from the old year to the new, but also providing an opportunity for family members to gather and show respect to their ancestors, grandparents, and parents.
The New Year's feast is a very important part of the Korean New Year, featuring many delicious dishes.
The traditional Korean New Year's feast is considered quite elaborate and abundant. Each dish is meticulously prepared, offering a wonderful culinary experience. From steaming hot, fragrant mandu filled with meat to bowls of dduk guk with their clear, sweet broth, or tender, flavorful galbijjim, everything creates an unforgettable visual and taste feast. Furthermore, the Korean New Year's feast also showcases sophistication in its presentation, with vibrant and harmonious colors creating a captivating culinary tableau.
They use words that represent the fruits of a year's labor and carry the meaning of wishing for a good and happy new year.
Traditional rice cake soup (Tteokguk) is an indispensable dish during this time. The Tteokguk rice cakes symbolize a new year and longevity, while the golden, crispy Jeon (rice cakes) represent fulfillment and abundance. Japchae, with its glistening glass noodles and fresh vegetables, not only offers delicious flavor but also symbolizes health and harmony. Braised beef ribs, a high-class dish symbolizing prosperity and prestige, further enhances the elegance of the feast. And of course, kimchi – the soul of Korean cuisine, representing health and longevity – is essential. In the warm atmosphere of family gatherings, enjoying the New Year's feast together is an opportunity for everyone to bond, share joy, and exchange best wishes for the new year.
New Year's Day in Korea is also an occasion for families to gather together, share a first meal of the year, play traditional games, and perform traditional rituals.
China
The Chinese New Year feast is a vibrant and diverse culinary tapestry, varying from region to region. However, hidden beneath this diversity are common features that reflect meticulousness and profound meaning. While differing by region, the feast generally includes basic dishes such as steamed buns, fish, longevity noodles, whole chicken, rice cakes, rolls, dumplings, and a fruit platter.
Each Chinese dish is not only delicious, visually appealing, and nutritious, but also contains many profound and meaningful symbolism.
The round steamed buns symbolize reunion, whole fish represent abundance, and longevity noodles convey wishes for long life. Especially, dumplings – the most beloved dish during Tet – are not only delicious but also a symbol of good fortune. The crescent shape of the dumplings evokes images of gold and silver coins, representing wishes for wealth and prosperity for the family. All these elements combine to create a lavish and warm feast, dispelling the cold of winter and ushering in a new year full of hope.
The dishes on their Tet (Lunar New Year) feast table all have symbolic meanings, and a plate of dumplings is indispensable, whether steamed or fried.
The Chinese have a custom of eating fish during the Lunar New Year with the hope of a prosperous and abundant new year. In Chinese, the word for "fish" is a homonym for the word for "abundance," signifying surplus and richness. Fish is often steamed whole to symbolize completeness.
Nian gao, a sweet rice cake, is considered a food that brings good luck and success in the new year. The word "gao" in "nian gao" sounds similar to the word "cao," meaning higher or better.
Singapore
Lunar New Year in Singapore, with its subtle blend of Chinese tradition and local culture, is an incredibly rich culinary festival. The New Year's feast is not just a meal, but a story of culture and history. Fish symbolizes abundance, and yusheng (raw fish salad) brings wishes of good fortune and prosperity. Rice cakes, pen cai, and other traditional dishes each hold profound meanings, conveying the good wishes of the Singaporean people.
Singaporean New Year's delicacies carry significant meanings of prosperity and peace, while also showcasing the essence of the nation's culture.
Yu Sheng, the lucky salad, is not just a dish but a deeply ingrained cultural ritual in Singapore. When enjoying Yu Sheng, people collectively perform the "lo hei" ritual – tossing the salad plate high in the air while offering good wishes. Each toss and each wish carries profound meaning, conveying hopes for a prosperous and abundant new year.
Bakkwa, a savory, sweet, and rich dish, is grilled over charcoal until fragrant and incredibly popular in Singapore, especially during the Lunar New Year. This delicacy originates from unique Chinese cooking and preservation techniques but has been localized, using charcoal grilling instead of air drying, with some variations including the addition of chili peppers.
The Lunar New Year feast in Asian countries is a fascinating journey of culinary discovery. Each dish is not only the product of skillful hands but also the culmination of profound spiritual values. From familiar ingredients, people have created culinary works of art, both visually appealing and delicious. Each time we enjoy a Lunar New Year feast, we feel a connection to our roots, experiencing the warmth of family and love for our homeland.
