Food plays a major role in Lunar New Year celebrations. Pearl balls are frequently served at Lunar New Year celebrations. The round meatball signifies reunion, and this is traditionally a time for families to come together. egg rolls (spring rolls) are also popular—they are thought to symbolize wealth since the roll resembles a 10-ounce gold bar. And you'll often find families making dumplings together on New Year's Eve, particularly in northern China.
More Lunar New Year Recipes
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Jiaozi Dumplings
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
In northern China, families spend the night before Lunar New Year preparing dumplings to enjoy after midnight. Serve Jiaozi dumplings with ginger soy dipping sauce
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Spring Rolls
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Spring rolls symbolize wealth as their shape and color are thought to resemble a long gold bar. These spring rolls are filled with barbecued pork and vegetables.
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Pearl Balls
Feifei Cui-Paoluzzo / Getty Images Pearl balls are frequently served at Lunar New Year celebrations. The round meatball signifies reunion, and this is traditionally a time for families to come together.
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Lettuce Wraps
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The Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is common to serve lettuce wraps filled with other lucky food. To turn this into an even more symbolic dish, substitute dried oysters for the chicken meat (dried oyster sounds like the word for "good").
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Potstickers
The Spruce
These tasty pan-fried dumplings are perfect for Lunar New Year celebrations. Serve potstickers with soy sauce with ginger, hot chili oil or dumpling dipping sauce
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Yuanxiao Dumplings
The Spruce / Nita West
Traditionally, these dumplings are served on the Lantern Festival marking the final day of the Lunar New Year season.