10 auspicious food for Year of Wood Dragon

MANILA, Philippines — It has become a tradition for Chinoys to sit down together with family and friends for a Chinese New Year lauriat lunch or dinner on Chinese New Year itself (which falls on February 10 this year) or the day before. This is often done in a really good Chinese restaurant or the Chinese restaurant of a five-star hotel, which is reputed to serve excellent Chinese cuisine.

Each family platter, served course by course, represents an auspicious dish closely associated with Chinese New Year because they are considered as lucky food.

While the seasoned executive Chinese chefs of these restaurants draw up their own menus, they do not stray too far from each other because they stay within the list of lucky ingredients or dishes.

These are the food items that are said to be lucky for the Chinese New Year. 

Whole fish. It symbolizes abundance and prosperity, so Chinese New Year lauriats always include one, usually Steamed Lapu-Lapu or Garoupa. It can also be catfish or carp. Serving whole fish for Chinese New Year is like an assurance that there will always be a little more than what you need throughout the year. 

Whole chicken. It stands for luck or wholeness. The chicken is served whole, with head and feet still intact. My mom used to have a supplier for such whole chicken, whom she calls when there is a special occasion. The chicken is usually roasted or braised.

Chinese dumplings. Besides being excellent appetizers, they represent wealth. So, aside from serving the usual siomai in different flavor variants and forms, chefs sometimes make Money Bags for Chinese New Year. These are a variation of dumpling fillings shaped into balls and wrapped in oversized wrapper with their edges collected on top and tied with spring onion to look like a “money bag.” Some dumplings, such as Scallop Siomai, can even be shaped to look like Chinese ingots, or oval-shaped “money bars” that are slightly turned up on both ends.

Spring rolls. Symbolizing wealth, they are a Cantonese fried dim sum item. Fillings of meat and vegetables are wrapped in thin spring roll wrappers, rolled and fried in hot oil until golden and crispy.

Noodles. They mean longevity or a long, healthy