Eight ways to eat yourself lucky in the Year of the Rat

Ring in the Year of the Rat with these eight luck-enhancing foods.

There's choices galore at Lunar New Year feasts. Source: Getty Images/Moment RF

Have your new year's resolutions fallen by the wayside? Fear not, the Lunar New Year starts on 25 January, giving us the opportunity to reboot our resolve as we farewell the Year of the Pig and pass the baton to the Rat.

The rat is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor staged a race to decide the order of the animal zodiac. The rat hitched a ride on the ox and, at the last minute, cheekily jumped off and crossed the finish line first. The rat is thought to be intelligent, agile and quick thinking, and 2020 is predicted to be an energetic year.

Lunar New Year is the premier event in the Chinese calendar, a time to gather with family and eat yourself silly. Food plays an enormous part in the celebrations, and dishes are carefully selected for their symbolism.  

Here are eight – a lucky number of course! – ways for you to eat your way to a happy, healthy and wealthy 2020. And even if you're not superstitious, we can guarantee these dishes are damn delish.

Happy New Year!

We are pumped for a lucky year. Source: Shaireproductions.com/Flickr Creative Commons

Dumplings

Dumplings are believed to resemble gold or silver ingots, and tradition dictates that you should eat as many as you can to ensure your financial wellbeing.

When preparing them, cooks will sometimes hide a coin in one, and whoever chances on this will enjoy extra good fortune (just mind those teeth).

Unleash your inner glutton and eat these pork-stuffed beauties.

Pomelo

The Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the verb "to have", and the shape and yellow colour of these soccer ball-sized citrus fruits symbolise prosperity. Thus they are given out as gifts.

A word of caution: if you're arranging your fruit bowl, don’t place four pomelos together as four is a number that signifies death.

Make this refreshing pomelo salad.

Prawns

Prawns are associated with happiness. Of course, a taste of that delicate, sweet flesh is enough to increase serotonin levels.

But the actual reason for the association is that the word for prawns is pronounced 'ha', sounding just like a little hiccup of laughter. 

These salt and pepper prawns will definitely pep you up.

Chicken

No new year spread is complete without a whole chicken – from cockscomb to claw.

While their eyes may be beady and their beaks a little threatening, having the entire bird on the table is important, as it represents family togetherness.

Often the main breadwinner (or rice winner!) of the family gets to eat the feet so that they can "grasp" onto wealth.

Here's your next 'winner winner chicken dinner'!

Fish

Leave those fish fingers in the freezer. As with the chicken, tradition demands that the whole body – with head, fins and tail intact – must be served.

This luck-enhancing dish owes its popularity to the fact that "yue", the Chinese word for fish, sounds like the word for surplus.

When laying out your new year banquet, point the fish's head toward the guest of honour or elders.

When laying out your new year banquet, point the fish's head toward the guest of honour or elders. And for maximum luck, try to eat half for dinner and save the rest for the next day. This could prolong your surplus!

Here's a classic way to cook a whole fish.

Noodles

To the Chinese, noodles represent longevity – so the longer the better.  When preparing noodles don’t cut them with scissors or a knife as this could affect your life expectancy. And try not to bite into them. Slurping and swallowing is the recommended mode of ingestion – just be wary of choking!

Try this noodle dish with the longest noodles you can find.

Can we tempt you with some dan dan noodles? Source: Shannon Aitken

Asian vegetables

It may not be pure altruism that motivates your mum to nag you to eat your greens.

Yes, you'll get a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals, but tradition has it that eating green vegetables, such as Chinese broccoli or bok choy, will increase your parents' longevity.

Sweet glutinous rice balls

Sweet desserts are bountiful during the new year and are reputed to bring sweetness into your life. Rice balls, made with glutinous rice flour, are a popular new year dessert. Often they're stuffed with black sesame paste or red bean and served in a clear sweet soup.

The super sticky balls and are thought to bring the family together because the Chinese name for this dessert sounds just like the word for 'reunion'.

Desserts are a must during new year – especially this unusual sweet dessert soup.

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