Nyonya Bak Chang or the Glutinous Rice Dumplings

Nyonya Bak Chang is essentially a meal that is particularly enjoyed by the Chinese descent in Malaysia and Singapore during the CNY season, with its message of prosperity, harmony, and prosperity. The food, the dumplings, is made up of glutinous rice, dried shrimp, chinese sausage and peanuts, in addition to pickled radish, in form and arrangements of pyramid-like dumplings covered by a bamboo leaf. This very special and tasty dumpling not only adds joy to the ordinary meal and symbolizes the desire for a rich harvest.

Easter Eggs

While Easter eggs are certainly known to belong to the Western part of the world in general, in China, they become a treat for the Lunar New Year. Originally, Easter eggs are painted in various colors, but the most frequent ones are red and gold as those colors are associated with prosperity. These boiled, dyed eggs may also be eaten as it is or added to prepare egg rolls, egg noodles and egg tart dishes. And it is tradition that every part of the Chinese lunar new year have eggs because the word ‘dan’, meaning egg in Chinese, also means, increase or growth in English.

Peanuts

Fruits[edit] Peanuts are one of the traditional CNY snack especially of the Fujian province as well as peanuts are symbolizes for the prosperity. The Mandarin word for peanuts, (hua sheng), sounds like the phrase ‘growing in business’ and are perfect to munch on during the LNY. Families often boil peanuts and eat them with soya sauce or sugar syrup and some others enjoy the experiment of baking peanuts to make peanut toffee or peanut taffy. 

Nian Gao (Sweet Rice Cake)

Nian gao, also called sweet rice cake, is a traditional Chinese dessert which is consumed especially in the Chinese New Year season. This traditional food is prepared from glutinous rice flour and sugar and may be steamed, boiled or fried. The dessert is believed to have gained favour in the new year possibly due to the name nian gao sounding like ‘higher year’ which is a way people in China hope that the new year will be better and higher than the previous year. Moreover, nian gao symbolises another aspect which is really tasty next to ginger, sesame seeds, and coconut with its soft and sticky textured dish.

Pineapple Tarts

The Nonya Samsui pineapple tarts are sweet discoveries especially for the Lunar New Year celebration. These beautiful golden tarts are made with buttery pastry and feature tender and sweet pineapple preserving at its centre. These are in different shapes like roses, balls or the natural shell of the tarts and their bright color represents the aspects of luck and wealth. Moreover, pineapple, represented as a gold pineapple on the cupcake, means success and those profitably baked pineapple tarts are presented to relatives and friends during the celebration.

Mooncakes

Mooncakes are another staple CNY delicacies though they are consumed primarily during the Mid-Autumn Festival but they also make is the Lunar New Year. These sweet pastries are typically stuffed with filling such as high concentrated sweetened lotus seed paste, adzuki bean paste or even salted egg yolk; which symbolizes the ‘moon’. Depending on the type, shapes, sizes and the reception, there are three types of mooncakes namely the snowskin mooncakes which contain different toppings and flavors including chocolate, durian or even green tea. These fine products are taken with friends and relatives during social events and also presented to friends and business partners as token of good wishes.

Jelly Rolls

Another delicacies that cannot be missed are jelly rolls especially in celebrating Lunar New Year in Hong Kong and Macau’s territories. They are generally made of a layer of transparent gelatinous jelly, fruit-flavored gel, layered with thin pieces of sponge cake and garnished with whipped cream. They also come in the form of jelly rolls sweet, tender and succulent that goes well with the occasion and are one of the special delights of serving during CNY.

Conclusion

When the Chinese New Year is around the corner, Chinese citizens across the globe joyfully feast on these tasty traditional treats and celebrate. These special pastries, including traditional CNY goodies, symbolize their rich culture and embody hopes for a better and happier year ahead. Whether it’s nian gao, pineapple tarts, or mooncakes, these delectable treats have a magical way of bringing back sweet and joyful moments shared with family and friends. Therefore, it is paramount to cherish these traditional CNY goodies and fully embrace the meaning of the season, particularly the prosperity and togetherness they represent.