舌尖上的春节：带来好运的十大过年传统美食

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.
西方人过新年，总免不了开怀畅饮，而中国人过春节，讲究的则是亲朋好友团聚，享用传统美食。究竟如何吃出一个喜庆繁荣的好运年呢？在这里，三位美食达人——《鱼翅与花椒》的作者扶霞·邓洛普、膳艺社主管多丽丝·林与《红运生活》的作者罗斯玛丽·龚——将向你细细道来。

1. Tangerines and Oranges 福橘

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.
春节摆福橘，吃福橘，能带来财富与好运。旧金山中国文化中心的成员告诉我们，在中文里，“金”与“橘”谐音，而“橘气”又代指“好运气”，于是就有了吃福橘的传统。“福橘最好能带上叶子。”多丽丝·林补充道，“因为叶子象征长命百岁”。而邓洛普提醒，可千万别把福橘成四放置，因为数字4在中文里音近“死”。

2. Long Noodles 长寿面

If noodles are served, then “keep them as long as possible for long life,” says Lum.
林说，春节里做面条，“尽量做得越长越好，那代表着长寿”。

3. The Tray of Togetherness 八宝盒

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.
春节期间，走亲串户，家家都会准备八宝盒，既可作零嘴，也可当赠礼。八宝盒分为八格（邓洛普解释道：“8是个吉祥数字。”），分别装有象征财富的金桔，象征团聚的椰片，象征多子多孙的龙眼，象征喜庆的红瓜子，等等。