We celebrate the Spring Festival at the beginning of the Chinese lunar year. As the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people, it stands for unity and prosperity and shows people’s hope for the future. Delicious food is absolutely necessary during the celebration.

Dumplings: “Jiaozi” (The pronunciation is the same as that of “dumpling” in Chinese) is the moment when the new year and the old year alternate. People believe that it is auspicious to eat dumplings during the Spring Festival. Besides, the shape of the dumplings is like that of a shoe-shaped gold ingot. Making dumplings means wrapping up blessings and good luck and eating dumplings stands for a rich life.

Yuanxiao: Yuanxiao, also called “sweet dumpling”, is a round dessert made of glutinous rice flour and other ingredients. It generally has stuffing. It is eaten with soup after it is boiled. Why do people like to eat sweet dumplings during the Spring Festival? Because its shape has the meaning of reunion and completeness, its taste has the meaning of sweetness and happiness, and its rolling state means that everything is smooth.

New Year Cake: Eating New Year Cake during the Spring Festival means that everything goes well and you have a better life year after year. The New Year Cake is divided into many types and made with different methods in different places in China. In the north, the New Year Cake is steamed or fried. In the south, the New Year Cake can also be stir-fried and boiled in soup.