Delicious Chinese New Year Recipes to Try: Menu planning guides

Lunar New Year is a big celebration for Chinese and Asians. Also, people gather to spend time with families and eat tasty foods like hot pot, steamed fish, roast duck, dumplings, and lobster yee mein. It is similar to Western Thanksgiving and Christmas. In this post on Chinese New Year food recipes, I will share some Chinese Lunar New Year recipes and food ideas that my families often eat during spring festival celebrations. Besides, this will be a great menu planning guide for your next Chinese New Year dinner or feast!

red background Chinese new year recipes ideas

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year is also called Lunar New Year. Chinese worldwide will celebrate this spring festival, the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar.
Also, it’s generally around late January to early-mid February. The date is different yearly according to the regular calendar but will be the same every lunar year. Besides, other Asia countries such as Japan and Korea also celebrate this Lunar New Year differently.

What do people usually do during the Chinese spring festival?

Chinese spring festivals are like Western Thanksgiving, where families gather together for annual reunion dinners and yummy foods. Traditionally, people deep clean their houses three days before the Lunar New Year (the 28th of the lunar calendar). They believe in cleaning and sweeping away bad fortunes to welcome good luck.

In addition, people like to decorate their houses with good fortune words, couplets, and Chinese poetry on red paper around doors and windows. Also, people light firecrackers and fireworks. Some do lion dances around houses. Besides, married couples will give red pocket money to kids and unmarried family members or friends, symbolizing good luck.

What kind of foods will people eat during the Lunar New Year?

Different areas have different traditional Chinese New Year foods. Usually, northern Chinese like to eat noodles, baozi, and dumplings for spring festivals.

However, southern Chinese eat chicken, seafood such as fish, crab, lobster, shrimp, duck, braised mushrooms, hot pot, turnip cake, sesame balls, sweet glutinous rice cake, tang yuan, candies, mandarin oranges, etc.

Here are some Chinese Lunar New Year food recipes ideas:

1. Hot pot

Hot pot is a beloved Chinese culinary tradition and a communal dining experience that warms your heart and soul. Gathering around a bubbling pot of rich, flavorful broth, family and friends create lasting memories as they cook and share a variety of fresh ingredients. During the Chinese New Year, the hot pot symbolizes unity, prosperity, and the joy of togetherness.

Chinese Hot Pot

2. Dumplings

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my mom making dumplings entirely from scratch, especially during Chinese New Year. My mom would lovingly prepare everything, from kneading the dough for the wrappers to folding each dumpling with love. The aroma of freshly boiled and golden pan-fried dumplings filled our home, making every celebration even more special.

3. Noodles

In Chinese culture, yi mein, often called longevity noodles or sau mein (壽麵), holds special significance, particularly on birthdays. These noodles symbolize a long and prosperous life because the unbroken strands represent longevity and continuity. Beyond birthdays, noodles are a cherished dish during Chinese New Year, as people believe they will bring good luck and blessings. To celebrate these traditions, here are some inspiring noodle dish ideas.

4. Braised mushrooms

These dishes are a staple of traditional Chinese cuisine, often enjoyed during Chinese New Year celebrations, special banquets, traditional weddings, and other festive occasions. From popular variations, authentic Chinese chicken with mushrooms and the Americanized zucchini mushroom chicken offer a delicious blend of flavors for every palate.

5. Poultry

Traditionally, Cantonese white-cut chicken and roast duck are must-have dishes for Chinese New Year and festive celebrations. It is a symbol of prosperity and family unity. If you are looking to add more flavors to your feast, here are some delicious Chinese-style chicken dishes to enjoy during the holiday:

6. Seafood

People from southern China enjoy cooking seafood for the Chinese New Year. Additionally, many Chinese and Asians prefer to prepare whole fish for this occasion. In Chinese culture, serving a whole fish with its head and tail intact is a longstanding tradition believed to bring good luck. My family also has favorite shrimp dishes: boiled shrimp, ginger scallion crab, steamed shrimp with vermicelli, and garlic chili shrimp.

7. Chinese Cake

Turnip cake and taro cake are traditional Chinese New Year food and dim sum items, especially in southern China because the word radish in Chinese sounds like good fortune. Besides, nian gao (年糕) is a homonym for "higher year" or "advancing year" in Chinese. It symbolizes progress, growth, and the promise of a better year. Also, Taiwanese people often make and consume Taiwanese pineapple cakes during Chinese New Year—the symbolic association of pineapple with prosperity and good luck.

8. Deep Fried

Deep-fried foods are a staple during Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune. The golden, crispy exterior of these dishes represents abundance and success in the coming year. One of the popular deep-fried treats is sesame balls (煎堆). It puffs up as they fry. It is a symbol of growth and prosperity. The light, airy shrimp chips are crispy snacks often enjoyed during Chinese New Year. They are symbols of happiness and abundance. The crunch and flavor add to the festive table. Whether sweet or savory, these golden-fried bites bring joy and good luck to the Lunar New Year feast.

9. Pork

Pork is a beloved ingredient in Chinese New Year celebrations because it symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and family unity. Simple char siu BBQ pork, rich in flavor and tradition, Chinese cured pork belly, and steamed pork ribs add a delicious touch to the holiday feast, bringing good fortune and joy to the new year.

10. Vegetables

Vegetables play an important role in Chinese New Year feasts. They symbolize health, renewal, and prosperity. Dishes like stir-fried bok choy (清炒白菜) represent purity and fresh beginnings. Leafy greens balance the richness of festive meals while carrying meaning for the year ahead.

11. Sweet and sour pork or American Chinese orange chicken

American Chinese dishes add a delicious and festive twist to Chinese New Year celebrations. They blend familiar flavors with traditional symbolism. Classics like sweet and sour pork, kung pao chicken, walnut shrimp, and orange chicken bring crispy golden bites that symbolize prosperity and good fortune. The balance of crispy textures and bold flavors makes them perfect for ringing in the Lunar New Year with a fusion of tradition and modern taste.

12. Rice

Rice is a staple in Chinese New Year celebrations. It symbolizes abundance, fertility, and a prosperous year ahead. Dishes like sesame oil chicken rice, ham fried rice, or plain jasmine rice are great with a mix of meats, seafood, and vegetables. They reflect unity and a bountiful harvest. Whether you serve as a main or a side dish, rice is vital in welcoming good luck and prosperity for the new year.

13. Soup

Soup holds special significance during Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of warmth, health, and nurturing family bonds. You can serve a variety of soups during this time, such as watercress soup, lotus root soup, dried bok choy soup, and green radish carrot soup. These soups are known for their nourishing properties and are believed to promote longevity and good fortune. The comforting nature of these soups offers nourishment and a heartfelt wish for prosperity and well-being.

13. Dessert

Desserts play a sweet and symbolic role in the Chinese New Year. They represent joy, prosperity, and a lovely life ahead. Tang yuan is round and symbolizes the hope for a sweet, harmonious, happiness, good fortune, and prosperous future. These traditional treats bring sweetness to the celebration and wrap up the festivities with blessings for a joyful and prosperous year.