One of the things that many of us look forward to during the Chinese New Year celebration is the wide variety of festive goodies. Before you indulge in your favourite treats, do you know how they came about and what are the auspicious meanings behind them?
2. 福
On the first day
of the Lunar New
Year, the tan
family will visit
grandma to wish
her good health
and longevity.
3. 福One of the family’s
favourite things about
Lunar New Year: the treats
and the stories that
Grandma would tell!
The young ones gather
around Grandma excitedly.
4. 福“Tell us about our favourite
CNY goodies, Grandma,” the
young ones chorused in unison.
“One at a time,”
Grandma says.
“Let’s see who’s
first…”
5. Bak kwa came from a meat preservation and
preparation technique used in ancient China.
BAK KWAORIGINS
肉干
Because people were poor,
meat was a luxury for many.
It was thus reserved for
the Lunar New Year.
7. KUEH BANGKIT
ORIGINS
番婆饼
These originally started as religious food
offerings, so they were made in the shape of
the currency of ancient China.
Today, they come in various
animal or floral shapes, each
symbolising different meanings.
8. VERY HEATY
很热! eat
less
hor...
of recommended
daily intake* in calories
1/5 of it is sugar!
8%137
NUTRITION FACTS
*RDI for Female (18-29) Low Active = 1745 calories
9. The word ‘pineapple’ in Hokkien is ‘ong lai’.
The literal translation for ‘Ong lai’ is
‘prosperity has arrived’.
PINEAPPLE TARTSORIGINS
黄梨挞
People believe that pineapple tarts
bring good luck and prosperity.
10. VERY HEATY
很热 eat
less
hor...!
NUTRITION FACTS
*RDI for Male (18-29) Low Active = 2280 calories
of recommended
daily intake* in calories
Butter fingers?
It’s 20% butter!
30%684
11. DRIED SHRIMP ROLLSORIGINS
蝦米香
Shrimps are thought to represent happiness
and good fortune, while spring rolls
symbolise wealth (the shape represents a
gold bar).
Hence, the dried shrimp roll
combines both meanings.
12. VERY OILY
很油 eat
less
hor...
!
of recommended
daily intake* in calories
Time to ‘prosper’
with 20% saturated fat!
13%228
NUTRITION FACTS
*RDI for Female (18-29) Low Active = 1745 calories
13. LOVE LETTERSORIGINS
鸡蛋卷
History has it that lovers used these send
messages to each other.
Eating the ‘love letters’ would mean
that the words were taken to heart.
14. VERY SWEET
很甜 eat
less
hor...
!
of recommended
daily intake* in calories
Almost as sweet as a
real love letter, it’s 2/5 sugar!
13%224
NUTRITION FACTS
*RDI for Female (18-29) Low Active = 1745 calories