What’s cooking for the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese this holiday season?

By: Yutang Song and Jennifer Nguyen

For many people in Canada, Jan. 1 of the Gregorian calendar already ushered in the new year of 2022. But for anyone that follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar and its variants, the party is just getting started — the new year of the Tiger has just begun, starting on Feb. 1.

Lunar New Year is mainly celebrated for five to seven days among Chinese and other Southeast and East Asian communities, including Korean, Taiwanese, Hong Konger, Tibetan, Mongolian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese. Regardless of where in Canada or the world they’re based, food is a central part of the festivities.

In this article, we will explore the most commonly eaten traditional Lunar New Year foods from some of the above communities. How does each group celebrate and why do they eat different foods for various reasons?

Chinese

In China and the diaspora, believed to be the origin of the Lunar New Year, this holiday is also referred to as the Spring Festival. People normally sit down for a reunion dinner with family on Chinese New Year's Eve, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be out painting the Chinatowns from coast to coast a bright, festive red!

Jiǎozi (dumplings) are the most popular food and what almost every Chinese person would eat during the new year, as ancient legend has it that they represent wealth — the shape of dumplings is similar to the sycee or yuánbǎo, an old currency in China. The number of dumplings you eat during the Chinese New Year is said to predict the amount of money you’ll make in the upcoming year — hence the more, the better.

Families often gather to prepare fresh dumplings from scratch for Chinese New Year. (Angela Roma/Pexels)

Koreans

Korean communities across Canada celebrate the Lunar New Year or Seollal with different kinds of soups and rice cake, although tteokguk is colloquially and endearingly known as the “new year soup”. This dish features thinly-sliced rice cake pieces in a clear meat-based broth (usually beef). Just before serving, it is then topped off with garnishes like julienned eggs or green onions.

It is believed that decades ago, Koreans started the practice of aging a year during Seollal after finishing their bowl of tteokguk, rather than on their actual birthdays that year — making eating it a fun ritual and collective experience to look forward to every time. If that sounds interesting, hit up your local Korean restaurant and see if you can order a serving of the soup of new beginnings!

Embed from Getty Images

A simple five-ingredient bowl of tteokguk brings a taste of delight to Seollal celebrations.

Malaysians and Singaporeans

Malaysians and Singaporeans are ethnically-diverse groups rather than homogenous, so it’s fair to say that not all of them celebrate Lunar New Year to the same extent. But those of Chinese heritage go all out, and they boast quite a presence too — making up about one-third of Malaysia and two-thirds of Singapore.

Both communities have managed to retain new year traditions of 20th-century China as a direct outcome of the migration waves happening throughout, and if there’s something else the two share, that is a love for yee sang or yu sheng. Also known as “prosperity toss salad”, this colourful raw fish salad is a party packed with flavours and is very fitting for a feast. It also doubles as a cultural bonding activity for Chinese New Year gatherings. Serving yee sang/yu sheng involves everybody at the table putting together the components, making wishes in the process, and last but not least, tossing it all up off the plate!

Among Malaysians, yee sang typically includes shredded vegetables, a citrus note like lime, sauces, seasoning, and most importantly salmon. But don’t let the long shopping list deter you — such ingredients often come conveniently in packs for purchase at Asian grocery stores.

Vietnamese

Known as Tết Nguyên Đán among the Vietnamese, Lunar New Year is considered a major holiday and a time to be alive for all the foodies of the community. In Canada, it’s not hard to come by Vietnamese new year treats like giò chả (cold cuts) or mứt (candied fruits) in fitting festive packaging in areas with a larger Vietnamese population, such as Vancouver, the Greater Toronto Area, and Montreal.

While what is served greatly depends on the region in Vietnam one comes from, sticky rice cakes called bánh chưng and bánh tét are typically the meal’s highlight. Both generally have mung bean and pork belly as fillings and are cooked wrapped inside phrynium or banana leaves; the only major difference is that bánh chưng is square while bánh tét is cylindrical. These rice delicacies keep well in the fridge, so they can be enjoyed throughout the whole week Tết Nguyên Đán takes place.