A taste of Spring Festival: reunion dinner fun facts (4)

Salad:

Vegetable stew 

Vegetables play a significant role on the reunion dinner table. Traditionally, all vegetable dishes have related to a play on words, with every recipe containing a good wish for the coming year.

Though the choice of vegetables may differ in different regions, several familiar vegetable dishes are eaten across China during the new year. For instance, one recipe including Chinese cabbage and lotus seeds is popular during the Spring Festival, as in Chinese, cabbage is a homophone of “unlimited wealth,” while lotus seeds represent a blessing for many children and a healthy family.

In south China, bamboo shoots are considered a lucky vegetable dish for the reunion dinner, as they represent longevity as well as good fortune. In north China, the leek is typically made into a salad or a filling for dumplings, because it sounds similar to 久, meaning everlasting fortune.

Flavor: sweet, salty or spicy

Cooking method: boil, fry or steam

Cultural Connotation: a symbol of good fortune, health, and happiness