舌尖上的春节：带来好运的十大过年传统美食

4. Nian Gao 年糕

“Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high,” says Dunlop. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. The steamed sweets are made of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and oil. Some versions have white sesame seeds, red dates, or nuts in them (the dates are said to bring “early prosperity,” writes Gong in Good Luck Life). If you want to try your hand at making nian gao, here's our recipe. Chowhounds also have some tips.
“年糕是种面食，不过‘糕’与‘高’同音，意义非凡，”邓洛普表示。因此，年糕就被赋予了年年高升的寓意。年糕味甜，由糯米、红糖及食用油制作而成。有时，人们也会加入芝麻、红枣或坚果（罗斯玛丽·龚在《红运生活》中写道，据说红枣能让人早生福气）。如果你想动手做年糕，我们的网站（chowhound.com）上有相应食谱及烹饪小贴士。

5. Pomelo 禄柚

This large citrus fruit is popular, writes Gong, because it is thought to bring “continuous prosperity and status.” The tradition comes from the way the Cantonese phrase for pomelo sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status, explains Lum.
龚在书中还写道，柚子在春节期间很受欢迎，因为中国人认为它象征着“财源广进，扬名四海”。林则解释道，广东人把“柚子”称作“禄柚”，吉祥之意由此而来。

6. Jai 斋菜

This vegetarian dish is eaten because it’s “part of the Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables,” says Lum. It’s also packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for longevity; lily buds to “send 100 years of harmonious union”; Chinese black mushrooms to “fulfill wishes from east to west”; and more. Try our recipe.
春节期间，也有食素的传统。“佛教认为，吃斋能净化自己，”林解释道。龚也在书中写道，制作斋菜，选料还需图个喜庆，比如：裙带菜代表着兴旺，莲子代表着多子多孙，面条代表长寿，百合则寓意着“百年好合”，香菇象征了“万事如意”，等等。不妨试试咱们的食谱吧。

7. Long Leafy Greens and Long Beans 绿叶时蔬与长豆

Gong writes that leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are “served whole to wish a long life for parents.”
龚在《红运生活》中写道，春节期间烹制绿叶时蔬，比如芥蓝，寄托着子女“希望父母长命百岁”的美好心愿。