Chinese New Year is fast approaching, so preparations are in full swing, from planning the decorations to curating your festive meal and everything in between.
Chinese New Year is a symbol of renewal, a time to overcome the past and welcome a brand new future. That's why it's important to incorporate positive elements to invite prosperity this 2022.
Below are six lucky foods you can find in our online organic grocery shop and bring to the table this time of celebration.
Long Noodles
It is a staple in every Chinese New Year celebration because long noodles symbolise long life. They say that the longer the noodles, the longer, happier, and healthier your life will be.
Luckily, noodles are everywhere in Singapore. They're a popular traditional dish that can be flavoured in countless ways. One of the traditional ways of serving long noodles is to stir fry them with sliced chicken or pork and vegetables.
Besides the glutenous noodles available in the market, you can find healthier alternatives like whole wheat thin noodles and BiFun-Thin rice noodles.
Leafy Greens
You know that vegetables are essential for your health, but did you know that they also represent prosperity, especially during the Chinese New Year?
In particular, leafy greens like lettuce and Chinese cabbage symbolise wealth. So, when you have this set on your table, you invite riches to your life.
The key is to prepare a delicious and healthy meal with leafy greens is to stick to simple ingredients. For example, Chinese tradition states stir-frying cabbage with soy sauce is good enough, but you can add other ingredients if you want to add more texture and enhance the flavour.
Fried garlic, chopped pork bits, and even chilli can elevate a simple cabbage dish to a whole new level, which your family can enjoy during the holiday.
For more recipe inspirations featuring leafy greens, try other healthy Asian recipes like the Chinese cabbage, wakame, and apple salad. It’s quick and straightforward to make, perfect for your busy schedule.
Whole Chicken
Having a whole chicken is a must during the new year because it represents togetherness, unity, and rebirth. One of the most popular ways of serving chicken is to boil or steam it into soup. But there are other, more creative ways of preparing chicken.
For instance, the Chicken Ginseng Soup is both flavourful and nourishing that is sure to be a crowd favourite. Another option is to cook a sesame-flavoured chicken, using the simplest ingredients of sea salt and sesame oil.
All you have to do is cook the chicken on both sides for 15 minutes each. Once cooked, remove it from the fire and rub sesame oil and sea salt on the exterior. It will infuse the chicken with incredible flavours.
Spring Rolls
You need to put spring rolls on the table if you want wealth and good fortune for 2022. This food item is typically eaten during the spring festival or Lunar New Year. This fried delicacy is usually filled with the goodness of shredded vegetables and a variety of meat (shrimp or pork) that represents gold and riches.
When eaten, tradition states that people should utter a lucky saying that means thousands of golds to invite prosperity to their life.
Big Fried Fish
Serving a fish dish is also a tradition in Chinese culture during the new year because it represents good beginnings. Like the other courses, be sure to flavour your fish with simple spices. Salt, pepper, garlic, and spices should be enough to make it tasty.
Pomelo or Grapefruit
You can serve a wide array of sweets or desserts like rice cakes, sesame balls, rice balls, or pineapple tarts that represent good fortune and sweet life. However, if you want to go the healthier route, you can also serve fruits like pomelo or grapefruit to symbolise good health, family unity, and fertility.
Invite longevity, prosperity, success, and wealth in your household when you prepare this food during the Chinese New Year. Find some ingredients you need to prepare these items in your local organic groceries, such as Nature's Glory.
Nature's Glory is home to natural, organic ingredients to provide you with everything you need to make your Chinese New Year the most memorable time of the year to spend with your family.