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    Home » Asian-Inspired Holidays » Lunar New Year Recipes and Menus

    Published: Jan 19, 2023 · Last Modified: Jan 19, 2023 by Jeannette ·

    Lunar New Year Recipes and Menus

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    Plates and bowls of Lunar New Year dishes.
    Steamed Oysters with Ginger Shallots on a plate next to a plate of Dried Scallops Fried Rice next to a bowl of Sago Taro Soup.
    Thit Kho in a wok next to a bowl of Stuffed Bittermelon Soup in a bowl with a spoon in it next to a bowl of Glutinous Rice Balls with Mung Bean Paste with a spoon in it.
    Braised Bean Curd in a bowl next to a bowl of Buddha's Delight next to a pot of Snow Fungus Dessert Soup with a ladle in it.

    Find 36 of our BEST Lunar New Year Recipes for this year’s family banquet! I’ll also show you how to turn your favorite dishes into a celebration menu. Enjoy a traditional New Year’s dinner, a lineup that even your parents would be impressed with or a wonderful vegetarian feast – all with authentic Chinese and Vietnamese flavors!

    Table of contents

    • The Most Exciting Time For Our Family – Traditions And All!
    • Food And Symbolism
      • Prosperity/Wealth
      • Longevity
    • Appetizers To Get The Party Started
    • Our Must-Have Mains
    • Nourishing Soups For Everyone
    • Bring It All Together With These Desserts
    • Our Favorite Banquet Menus
      • Menu 1 – A Traditional Chinese Banquet
        • Appetizers
        • Mains
        • Dessert
      • Menu 2 – A Traditional Vietnamese Banquet
        • Mains
        • Dessert
      • Menu 3 – Mum’s Vegetarian Banquet
        • Mains
        • Dessert
    • Want More Home Cooked Recipes?
    • Join The Family!

    The Most Exciting Time For Our Family – Traditions And All!

    Lunar New Year is a time where two of the most important things in my life come together. It’s family and food, all celebrated together in a season of fun and good fortune!

    This period is has all the hustle and bustle of Christmas because everyone at home gets busy: Mum’s cleaning the house and preparing gifts, Grandma’s cooking her annual jai, Dad’s making reservations for family reunion dinners and my brother and I are tidying up our rooms.

    Mum still talks about how special this time was while growing up in Vietnam because it was one of the only times she would get a brand new outfit and pair of shoes. Can you imagine that? No new anything any other day except on the New Year!

    Now that she’s an adult, Mum takes part in the tradition where red pockets are given out to the children. These 利是 (lay si) are filled with money and given out to children in the family as well as friends’ children.

    Imagine the excitement when receiving one! The child will then follow it up by thanking Mum (or whoever has given them one) with a combination of many phrases including:

    • 恭喜發財 (Gong Hei Fat Choy) – Wishing you prosperity and wealth.
    • 身体健康 (Sun Tai Gin Hong) – Wishing you good health.
    • 年年有余 (Nin Nin Yau Yu) – Wishing you prosperity every year.
    • 心想事成 (Sum Seung Si Seng) – Accomplish all your heart’s wishes.
    • 萬事如意 (Man Si Yu Yi) – May 10,000 things go your way.

    It’s a wonderful tradition that celebrates family, longevity and prosperity!

    Food And Symbolism

    Sun Lin/Nin Fai Lok (新年快乐) or the Vietnamese counterpart Chúc Mừng Năm Mới might be how we say ‘Happy New Year’, but the festivities are celebrated in the food that we eat as well.

    Often ingredients are chosen for their what they represent. Typically, it has to do with the name and how it sounds or its physical resemblance to another revered object.

    Prosperity/Wealth

    These ingredients are said to promote wealth and good fortune for the family.

    • Fish. The word in Chinese (鱼) sounds very similar to a word that means ‘surplus’ and the fish itself is often served whole to bring wealth and luck.
    • Dumplings (Jiaozi). These tend to look like the old Chinese gold ingots, a past form of Chinese currency.
    • Black moss. Pronounced ‘fat choy’ in Cantonese, the first character sounds identical to the word that means to be rich.
    • Nian Gao. 年糕 sounds similar to the way you might say ‘to achieve higher year after year’, which is a sign for a growth mindset and developing wealth.

    Longevity

    Food in this category promotes long life and health, which is key to a multi-generational family.

    • Longevity noodles. Also known as e-fu noodles, these remain long and unbroken to symbolize the length of one’s life. They can also be served at a birthday, wedding or when celebrating a newborn baby.

    Many of these ingredients have made it into our celebration menus, but the most important part is that families get a chance to celebrate being together, even if it’s just once a year!

    Appetizers To Get The Party Started

    My family always loves starting a banquet off with a delicious nibbly treat. They get the party and conversation going and set the mood for a great evening.

    Steamed oysters with ginger and shallots on a plate with a dish of light soy sauce

    Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots

    Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken on a board.

    Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞)

    Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad on a plate with chopsticks holding some up.

    Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜)

    Gua Bao Buns in a steamer.

    Taiwanese Bao (Gua Bao 割包)

    Nem Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers)

    Chao Tom on a board with a dish of fish sauce.

    Chạo Tôm (Sugar Cane Shrimp)

    Gỏi Cuốn on a board with sauce and herbs.

    Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls)

    Chả Giò in a colander.

    Chả Giò (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

    Canh Ga Chien Nuoc Mam on a board with lime wedges and a dish of sauce

    Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm (Fish Sauce Chicken Wings)

    SEE ALL APPETIZERS

    Our Must-Have Mains

    These are dishes that you might eat at home in a small cozy gathering or with 10+ people at a restaurant. You’ll find many of these Lunar New Year recipes in our prepared menus below!

    Ginger Scallion Lobster on a plate surrounded by ginger, garlic and scallions

    Ginger Scallion Lobster (蔥薑龍蝦)

    Braised sea cucumber in a pot

    Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms

    Four Cup Chicken cut up on a plate.

    Four Cup Chicken (四杯雞)

    Saliva Chicken on a plate.

    Saliva Chicken (Sichuan Chicken in Chili Oil 口水鸡)

    Braised Abalone with Mushrooms in a pot.

    Braised Abalone with Mushrooms (红烧鲍菇)

    Steamed with with ginger and shallots on a plate with a fork and a spoon.

    Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots (清蒸鱼)

    Buddha's Delight in a bowl with chopsticks, a bowl of rice and sauce.

    Buddha’s Delight (Lo Han Jai 罗汉斋)

    E-Fu Noodles with Roast Duck in a wok.

    E-Fu Noodles with Roast Duck

    Dried Scallops and Egg Whites Fried Rice on a plate.

    Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯)

    Salted Egg Yolk Prawns on a plate garnished with a wedge of lemon.

    Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (牛油黃金虾)

    Bò Kho in a bowl with half a Vietnamese baguette in it.

    Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)

    Thit Kho in a wok.

    Thịt Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water)

    Nourishing Soups For Everyone

    A feast isn’t complete without a bowl of hot soup to warm the stomach up. These Lunar New Year recipes include traditional Chinese AND Vietnamese ones.

    A spoon scooping up fish maw in a pot of Fish Maw Soup

    Fish Maw Soup

    Chinese Fish Soup in a pot with a spoon in it.

    Chinese Fish Soup (魚頭爐)

    Pig Stomach Soup in a pot.

    Pig Stomach Soup with Peppercorns (胡椒豬肚湯)

    Chicken Feet Soup in a pot with a ladle in it.

    Chicken Feet Soup (雞腳汤)

    Stuffed Bittermelon Soup in a bowl with a spoon in it.

    Canh Khổ Qua (Stuffed Bittermelon Soup)

    Sup Mang Cua in a pot.

    Súp Măng Cua (Vietnamese Crab and Asparagus Soup)

    SEE ALL SOUPS

    Bring It All Together With These Desserts

    Once your meals are finished, reset the palette with a delicious dessert. Choose from something refreshing or a hearty to finalize your banquet!

    Smiling Sesame Cookie Balls on a plate surrounded by red pockets.

    Smiling Sesame Cookie Balls (笑口棗)

    Nian Gao in a cake tin surrounded by red pockets and Lunar New Year snacks.

    Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Glutinous Rice Cake 年糕)

    Ching Bo Leung in glass cups.

    Ching Bo Leung (清補涼)

    Black Sesame Tang Yuan in bowls surrounded by ginger with one cut open.

    Black Sesame Tang Yuan (黑芝麻汤圆)

    Chinese Almond Cookies on a plate surrounded by tea in a cup.

    Chinese Almond Cookies (杏仁餅)

    Red Bean Dessert Soup in a bowl with a spoon in it.

    Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤)

    Sago Soup With Taro (西米露)

    Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls in a bowl with a spoon in it.

    Chè Trôi Nước (Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Syrup)

    Che Dau in a pot with a spoon in it.

    Chè Đậu Trắng (Sticky Rice Pudding with Black Eyed Peas)

    SEE ALL DESSERTS

    Our Favorite Banquet Menus

    Every family celebrates in their own way, but here is what our family likes to do:

    1. A Traditional Chinese Banquet – This is very similar to the Chinese Banquet Menu in our Asian Holiday Recipes post because this is really what our family eats and we want to keep it authentic that way.
    2. A Traditional Vietnamese Banquet – We may not have all the classic Tết recipes on the blog yet, but I’ve found the iconic dishes from some of my favorite Vietnamese bloggers.
    3. Mum’s Vegetarian Banquet – We can’t forget about all the delicious vegetarian food Mum and Grandma makes for the celebratory season!

    Menu 1 – A Traditional Chinese Banquet

    Our typical celebration menu has a lot of seafood. This amount of food typically serves 10-15 people (we often celebrate the New Year with our extended family), but you can always adjust it to your setting.

    Appetizers

    • Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots
    • Seafood Rolls
    • Fish Maw Soup

    Mains

    • Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (牛油黃金虾)
    • Ginger Scallion Lobster (蔥薑龍蝦)
    • Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots
    • Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic
    • E-Fu Noodles with Roast Duck
    • Dried Scallop and Egg White Fried Rice (瑤柱蛋白炒飯)

    Dessert

    • Sago Soup With Taro (西米露)
    • A fresh fruit platter

    Menu 2 – A Traditional Vietnamese Banquet

    Here are some traditional Tết dishes that a Vietnamese family might enjoy. They’re all generally served at the same time as one another, which means there isn’t a need for appetizers.

    Mains

    These side dishes are all served with a generous bowl of rice.

    • Thịt Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water)
    • Canh Khổ Qua (Stuffed Bittermelon Soup)
    • Bánh Chưng (Northern-Style Sticky Rice Cake) or Bánh Tét (Central/Southern-Style Rice Cake)
    • Đồ Chua (Pickled Carrot and Daikon)
    • Thịt Heo Quay (Crispy Roast Pork)

    Dessert

    • Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls with Ginger Syrup (Chè Trôi Nước)
    • A fresh fruit platter

    Menu 3 – Mum’s Vegetarian Banquet

    Much like the Traditional Vietnamese Banquet, these family side dishes can be enjoyed with a bowl of rice as well.

    Appetizer

    • Chả Giò Chay (Vegetarian Spring Rolls)

    Mains

    Served with a bowl of hot rice:

    • Easy Lemongrass Tofu
    • Braised Bean Curd with Mushrooms
    • Buddha’s Delight (Lo Han Jai 罗汉斋)

    Dessert

    • Snow Fungus Dessert Soup (雪耳糖水)

    Have a wonderful time with your loved ones celebrating this Lunar New Year! The Wok & Kin family wishes yours a happy, healthy and prosperous year.

    Gong Hei Fat Choy!

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    This post was originally published on 28/01/21 and updated with new links and dishes in January 2023.

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