Different Types of Chinese New Year Goodies

This time of year is one of the best times to travel to Asian countries, especially Singapore. Not only can you escape the bitter winter cold in the UK, but you will also get to enjoy the wide variety of food, colourful decorations and festive celebrations during Chinese New Year. As a proud Singaporean, I would love to share some of our delicious Chinese New Year goodies. Most of these treats are specially produced once a year to celebrate the festive season, making them even more special and eagerly anticipated.

The Chinese are traditionally very superstitious, so many festive goodies and decorations are packaged in bright red. Why red? In Chinese culture, red is associated with fire and symbolises good fortune, happiness, prosperity and joy. That is why you will see red packets, red lanterns, red clothing and even red packaging everywhere during Chinese New Year.

Some of these photos were kindly taken by my friend and sister in Singapore and sent over to me.

Nian Gao (年糕)

Nian Gao is made from glutinous rice and is one of the most popular Chinese New Year treats. The words “Nian Gao” sound similar to the phrase meaning “higher year”, symbolising growth, progress and achieving greater success with each passing year. Many families believe eating Nian Gao will bring improvements in career, studies and overall fortune.

Although Nian Gao is available all year round, it is mainly consumed during Chinese New Year. It comes in a variety of colours, shapes and flavours depending on how it is prepared. Some are moulded into shapes such as fish or gold ingots to represent abundance and wealth, while others are sold in simple round or rectangular blocks.

Traditionally, Nian Gao has a soft and sticky texture with a mildly sweet taste. Some people enjoy eating it straight from the packet, while others slice it and fry it with egg to create a crispy outer layer.

This picture shows the traditional Nian Gao wrapped in plastic.

Yu Sheng (鱼生)

Yu Sheng, also known as Prosperity Toss, is another iconic Chinese New Year dish in Singapore and Malaysia. Traditionally, it is eaten on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, known as Renri (人日), which is considered everyone’s birthday in Chinese culture. Nowadays, however, people enjoy Yu Sheng throughout the entire festive period, from the first to the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year.

Before eating, everyone gathers around the table and tosses the ingredients high into the air using chopsticks while shouting auspicious New Year greetings and wishes for prosperity, good health and success. The higher you toss the Yu Sheng, the more luck and prosperity you are believed to receive in the coming year! Things can get hilariously competitive, and some people even stand on stools just to toss it higher than everyone else.

Yu Sheng is made up of colourful shredded vegetables, crackers, sauces, spices and other ingredients, all symbolising different blessings such as wealth, happiness and good fortune. In shops, each ingredient is individually packed before being combined in a large container.

Traditionally, raw fish is added to the dish, as “Yu Sheng” literally translates to “raw fish”. Salmon is the most common choice today, although vegetarian versions are also widely available.

This was us celebrating with Yu Sheng while we were in Singapore two years ago.

Assorted Preserved Fruits

Another traditional Chinese New Year snack is the tray of assorted preserved fruits and sweets. These are usually presented in an octagonal or round container known as the “Tray of Togetherness”. The tray commonly contains eight different types of preserved fruits, candies or seeds, as the number eight is considered very lucky in Chinese culture.

Each snack carries a symbolic meaning, representing happiness, sweetness, prosperity and family unity for the coming year. Guests visiting during Chinese New Year are often invited to help themselves from the tray while chatting and celebrating together.

Other Chinese New Year Goodies

There are many other festive goodies commonly enjoyed during Chinese New Year in Singapore, including:

• Pineapple tarts
• Mini spring rolls
• Love letters (crispy rolled wafers)
• Honeycomb crackers
• Prawn crackers
• Egg rolls
• Assorted preserved fruits and sweets

Many families start buying these snacks weeks before Chinese New Year because they are perfect for sharing with visiting relatives and friends. It is very common to snack throughout the day while enjoying conversations, card games and festive television programmes together.

Please note that these examples are commonly found in Singapore, although you may also find some popular items such as egg rolls and Nian Gao here in the UK, especially in Asian supermarkets during the Chinese New Year season.