Lucky Foods for the New Year
Ring in the Year with Symbolic Foods from Around The World
Dec 30, 2008
If you’re considering hosting an Inexpensive New Year’s Eve, consider throwing a “Lucky Foods” theme: A multicultural sampling of food from around the world that is supposed to augur good fortune for your guests in the new year.
Eastern European New Year’s Food
Eastern Europe, (particularly Hungarians and Austrian) give gifts of “Glücksbringer,” traditional treats of sculptured marzipan pigs that symbolize prosperity. Given to a friend or family member on the first day of the New Year, it’s a token of goodwill, promising wealth for the upcoming year. It makes a charming hostess gift, or a token to finish off the end of the evening.
Another Hungarian New Year’s food tradition is bean soup, which can be dated back to Hungary’s queen Beatrice, daughter of Ferrante d’Aragonia, King of Naples. Italian influences are seen in many dishes, one such dish being bean soup, “bab leves” in Hungarian or a lentil stew, “cotechino con lenticchie” in Italian. According to both the Italians and Hungarians, the individual beans are similar to coins that were seen in the medieval era, and cooking something that resembled coins were said to bring prosperity into one’s home.
American New Year’s “Luck” Themed Dish
Beans are lucky for a different reason for the citizens of the Vicksburg, Virginia, USA: During the Civil War, the town had run out of food but an eleventh hour stash of black eyed peas were found, saving the townsfolk from starvation. Look for an American recipe for a dish called “Jumpin' Johnny” or “Hoppin’ John”. You can also bring any dish made with Black Eyed Peas, to bestow a wish of good luck on your guests.
Vegetables for a Fortune-Filled New Year
Cabbage, collards, chard, and kale – cooked, steamed or raw – resemble folded money, and so, are considered good luck by many cultures. It is said that eating something that resembles money will bring your household prosperity in the new year, and the more of it that is eaten, the more wealth you will be inviting in to your home.
Cuba, Spain, Portugal New Year’s Dishes
Due to the rich fat content in pork, eating various dishes like roast suckling pig, or even anything made with pig feet signifies wealth and prosperity. Serving pulled pork, or glazed ham may be a way to wish a rich new year, with an equally rich meal.
Japanese Fish Dishes for a Lucky New Year
While the traditional Japanese celebrate their new year at a different time, the Japanese have foods that represent various aspects of good fortune as well. According to Lauren Salkeld of Epicurious.com, herring roe is consumed for fertility, shrimp for long life, and dried sardines for a good harvest.
Try offering a range of sushi with shrimp, and various sardines on crackers or mashed into a pâté with some cream cheese as a hors d’oeuvre.
Lucky Desserts For The New Year: Greece, Sweden and Norway
Salkeld adds, “In Greece, a special round cake called vasilopita is baked with a coin hidden inside. At midnight or after the New Year's Day meal, the cake is cut, with the first piece going to St. Basil and the rest being distributed to guests in order of age. Sweden and Norway have similar rituals in which they hide a whole almond in rice pudding—whoever gets the nut is guaranteed great fortune in the new year.”
Making a cake with an almond or non-allergenic treat may be a great way to gather everyone around the table at once. Make sure if you are baking it with a coin or other small item that children are monitored closely and warn everyone that there is a coin in it before handing them a slice.
For recipes for lucky greens, prosperity inducing bean and pork dishes, or fortune-friendly desserts, check out Epicurious.com’s New Year’s Recipes.
