Here are the top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New Year. These delicious dishes are served during the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s eve with family members.

Hot pot

A steaming hot pot with meat, seafood and vegetables is a must. Huo in hot pot (huo guo) 火锅 is the same word as huo in (hong huo) 红火 “prosperous and booming”.

Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance in the new year. Fish yu 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese New Year. In Chinese, fish has the same sound as “surplus” and “abundance” 余. A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year’s eve for the reunion dinner.

Shrimp

Shrimp (xia) 虾 in Mandarin and (ha) in Cantonese sounds like someone laughing. Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings. These are shaped like gold ingots. Dumplings jiao zi 饺子 sounds like (jiao zi) 交子which means the hour of transition into the New Year. Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are eaten on Chinese New Year’s eve to usher in good luck and wealth in the New Year.

Oyster

Hao sounds like (hao shi) 好事 which means “good things”. In southern China, it is served with thin rice noodles.

Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens.

Qing cai 青菜 sounds like (qing) 亲 as in (qin re) 亲热 meaning “close/intimate.”

Niangao

Nian means year and cake gao sounds the same as high gao 高. So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped with red dates has the meaning of attaining* greater prosperity and rank in the new year.

Noodles

Known as (chang shou mian) 长寿面 meaning “longevity noodles”. A wish for good fortune —— Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness and Abundance —— is central to the Chinese way of life.