PrintTraditional New Years Dishes from Around the World
I'm trying to satisfy my curiousity (and maybe plan a menu). What foods are traditionally used to celebrate the New Year in India, Africa, East Asia, Europe, etc. Recipes?
I know Italians eat lentil soup . . . .
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17 Comments:
Living in the south, I'm surrounded by black eyed peas, collards and cornbread at this time of year. (Luckily, I love ALL of those things...LOL.)
Each year, my employer insists on cooking a New Year's lunch for all employees (now around 200). I assisted last year and we had lentil soup too to cover the Italian good luck food (I'm Italian). We'll be doing the same thing this year. As a matter of fact, I think my culinary background is what helped to get me this job :D.
chiff0nade at 1:47PM on 12/26/07
From not-so-far-away northeast Ohio where there's a large Mennonite/Amish influence it's pork and sauerkraut.
kathyvegas at 2:18PM on 12/26/07
chiff0nade beat me to it with the Southern tradition of Hoppin John -- blackeye peas and greens (usually collards or turnip) *seasoned* with some kind of pork (usually hog jowl, back fat or smoked ham hocks). All served with cornbread. SSSOOOOO delish.
While in Indonesia for New Year's once, we were served a steamed rice dish that contained chopped banana roots. I don't remember the story now, but seem to recall something about banana roots having been eaten to survive a terrible famine a few centuries back (?). It was so tasty. Bananas grow from a tuber or rhizome which is starchy and mildly sweet. Reminded me of a very mild yam, but WAY better.
LoCo at 2:39PM on 12/26/07
For those of us with Vitamin K(imchi) in our blood, it's ddeokguk, or rice cake soup. Mandu - Korean dumplings - are optional though my family will have none of this mandu-deficient ddeokguk nonsense. :)
peyotetheatre at 5:26PM on 12/26/07
Karen I have been known to make the good old PA Dutch pork and sauerkraut which to me with good mashed is just as good as it gets.
Being italian (like chiff) my people eat pasta and make a porchetta for New Years Day. Mostly in my family that means ravioli, stuffed shells, lasagne and a good pork roast.
JerzeeTomato at 6:04PM on 12/26/07
peyotetheatre - is the rice cake used in ddeokguk similar to mochi? I don't have an Asian grocery store around here . . .
KarynMC at 6:33PM on 12/26/07
KarynMC - nope, it's a different kind of rice cake. The type used for ddeokguk is denser and firmer, and a bit less sticky. If you don't have an Asian grocery store within easy access, you might want to check out online options. Disclaimer: I have no vested interest in Hmart.com other than, well, it's my default for getting hard-to-find groceries. :)
peyotetheatre at 8:35PM on 12/26/07
Italians also eat zampone or cotechino with lentils for good luck.
LearP at 8:53PM on 12/26/07
peyotetheatre - Sadly, the nearest Super H is two hours away. Maybe I can take my sister to college after her break ends, and afterwards make a detour to Silverspring . . .
KarynMC at 9:08PM on 12/26/07
Chinese New Year has many foods but isn't celebrated until February.
Ever since I found out Black Eyed Peas are considered a New Year's food I've used that as an excuse to eat as much as I can because I love them.
Here's an easy and vegetarian/vegan (means no one is excluded/everyone can enjoy) recipe:
NEW YEAR'S BLACK EYED PEA SALAD
Ingredients:
2 (15 oz) cans Black-eyed Peas, drained
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/2 cup diced red, yellow and/or green sweet pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil (or other salad oil)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Directions:
Toss well then rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Toss again just before serving.
Serve with small lime wedges and pepper sauce.
Sieseye at 5:13AM on 12/27/07
nothin' like a good n.y. strip...
marol at 10:37AM on 12/27/07
For good luck in the new year, have to have pork & sauerkraut here in PA Dutch country (lentil soup to start).
PerkyMac at 12:51PM on 12/27/07
I was somewhere a few years ago when I had a piece of herring stuffed into me for good luck. Apparently a German tradition that had been transplanted to a UES bar.
FKC at 1:25PM on 12/27/07
I have to represent the South and say black-eyed peas and cabbage. I saw some people eat greens. Maybe we're just special in Little Rock :-)
NuJoi at 11:46PM on 12/27/07
people in japan eat mochi, a very chewy pastry made of glutinous sticky pounded rice. apparently several people die after choking on it every new year's.
cybercita at 11:48PM on 12/27/07
I don't know if was for good luck but my French Canadian family always ushered the New Year in with a fabulous pork ragout and meat pies made with ground pork, onion, diced potatoes,and a pinch or two of ground clove. Thanks for the memories.
elaine nan at 5:14PM on 12/28/07
The Dutch eat oliebollen (literally "oil balls"), which are round doughnuts filled with fruit. I've never gotten up the nerve to make them myself, though -- big pots of hot oil scare me.
Messily at 3:43PM on 12/29/07