西方人過新年，總免不了舒懷痛飲，而中國人過春節，講求的則是親友石友團圓，享用傳統美食。畢竟若何吃出一個喜慶繁華的好運年呢?在這裏，三位美食達人——《魚翅與花椒》的作者扶霞·鄧洛普、膳藝社主管多麗絲·林與《紅運生存》的作者羅斯瑪麗·龔——將向你細細道來。
福橘
春節擺福橘，吃福橘，能帶來財產與好運。舊金山中國文化中間的成員告知咱們，在中文裏，“金”與“橘”諧音，而“橘氣”又代指“好命運運限”，因而就有了吃福橘的傳統。“福橘最佳能帶上葉子。”多麗絲·林彌補道，“由於葉子意味天保九如”。而鄧洛普提示，可萬萬別把福橘成四安排，由於數字4在中文裏音近“死”。
長命面
林說，春節裏做面條，“只管即便做得越長越好，那代表著長命”。
八寶盒
春節時代，走戚屬戶，家家都邑預備八寶盒，既可作零嘴，也可當贈禮。八寶盒分為八格(鄧洛普說明道：“8是個祥瑞數字。”)，分離裝有意味財產的金桔，意味團圓的椰片，意味多子多孫的龍眼，意味喜慶的紅瓜子，等等。
年糕
“年糕是種面食，不外‘糕'與‘高'同音，意義不凡，”鄧洛普表現。是以，年糕就被付與了年年高升的寄意。年糕味甜，由糯米、紅糖及食用油制造而成。偶然，人們也會參加芝麻、紅棗或堅果(羅斯瑪麗·龔在《紅運生存》中寫道，聽說紅棗能讓人早生福澤)。假如你想著手做年糕，咱們的網站(chowhound.com)上有響應食譜及烹調小貼士。
祿柚
龔在書中還寫道，柚子在春節時代很受迎接，由於中國人以為它意味著“財路廣進，立名四海”。林則說明道，廣東人把“柚子”稱作“祿柚”，祥瑞之意由此而來。
齋菜
春節時代，也有食素的傳統。“釋教以為，吃齋能凈化本身，”林說明道。龔也在書中寫道，制造齋菜，選料還需圖個喜慶，好比：裙帶菜代表著旺盛，蓮子代表著多子多孫，面條代表長命，百合則寄意著“百年好合”，香菇意味了“萬事快意”，等等。無妨嘗嘗我們的食譜吧。
綠葉時蔬與長豆
龔在《紅運生存》中寫道，春節時代烹制綠葉時蔬，好比芥藍，依靠著後代“願望怙恃天保九如”的美妙心願。
全魚
林說明道，中文裏，“魚”和“余”同音。春節吃魚，得連著魚頭魚尾吃一整條。《紅運生存》中這麽寫道，“如斯一來，能力包管一年到頭紅紅火火，黴運全無”。
甜食
春節時代吃甜食，寄意新年甜甜美蜜。龔在書中記載了兒時最愛的甜點——糕仔，口感酥脆，裏頭有花生、椰片與芝麻。
元寶(餃子)
“中國北方過年，大家都要吃餃子。”鄧洛普說，“家家戶戶都要包白菜豬肉餃子，入鍋烹煮，以醋與醬油作蘸料。並且，餃子經常會被包成元寶的外形。”龔則在書中進一步說明道，元寶是中國古代的泉幣。每逢春節，中國人會把餃子稱作元寶。因而，吃餃子便寄意了來年財路廣進。別的，很多人家還會在一些餃子中包入其他吉祥食物，好比花生，寄寓了長命之意。
【參考譯文】
While the Western New Year is more about drinking, the Chinese New Year is an opportunity to honor family and friends, and to enjoy some culinary traditions. We consulted Fuchsia Dunlop, author of Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper, and Doris Lum, president of the Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers, as well as Rosemary Gong's book on Chinese culture and celebrations, Good Luck Life, to find out what foods we should have on hand to ensure a prosperous and happy year to come.
1. Tangerines and Oranges
Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck."It's good if they have leaves," adds Lum, "because leaves symbolize longevity." But don't group them in fours, because, Dunlop says, this number is associated with death.
2. Long Noodles
If noodles are served, then "keep them as long as possible for long life," says Lum.
3. The Tray of Togetherness
Put out for visiting relatives to snack on, or given as a gift, the eight ("a traditionally symbolic lucky number," explains Dunlop) compartments of the tray are filled with things such as preserved kumquats for prosperity, coconut for togetherness, longans to bring many sons, and red melon seeds for happiness.
4. Nian Gao
"Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high," says Dunlop. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. The steamed sweets are made of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and oil. Some versions have white sesame seeds, red dates, or nuts in them (the dates are said to bring "early prosperity," writes Gong in Good Luck Life). If you want to try your hand at making nian gao, here's our recipe. Chowhounds also have some tips.
5. Pomelo
This large citrus fruit is popular, writes Gong, because it is thought to bring "continuous prosperity and status." The tradition comes from the way the Cantonese phrase for pomelo sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status, explains Lum.
6. Jai
This vegetarian dish is eaten because it's "part of the Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables," says Lum. It's also packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for longevity; lily buds to "send 100 years of harmonious union"; Chinese black mushrooms to "fulfill wishes from east to west"; and more. Try our recipe.
7. Long Leafy Greens and Long Beans
Gong writes that leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are "served whole to wish a long life for parents."
8. Whole Fish
The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance, says Lum. It's important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact, writes Gong, "to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year."
9. Sweets
Serving desserts brings a sweet life in the new year. Gong writes that a childhood favorite was the flaky cookie pockets called gok jai, filled with peanuts, coconut, and sesame.
10. Yuanbao (Jiaozi)
"In North China, everyone eats the jiaozi dumplings," says Dunlop. "Families will make a dough and wrap it around pork and cabbage, and boil [the dumplings], then serve them with vinegar and soy sauce. You can wrap them in the shape of an old silver ingot." Gong writes that during New Year celebrations jiaozi are called yuanbao, a reference to the ancient, ingot-shaped Chinese currency, and that eating them is said to bring prosperity. While making them, families sometimes tuck added good-luck foods like peanuts (to bring long life) into some of them.
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