早在南北朝时期，著名学者宗懔就在自己的著作《荆楚岁时记》中对年夜饭做了这样的记载：“暮家家俱肴蔌，诣宿岁之位，以迎新年，相聚酣饮。” 吃年夜饭的习俗已流传数千年，对每个炎黄子孙而言都意义深远。随着科技的发展，年夜饭的形式也在不断发生变化，如今的中国人既可以在家自制年夜饭，也可以在网上预约大厨上门服务，但始终不变的，是年夜饭的味道，和饭菜中凝聚的浓浓亲情。
Sumptuous and culturally significant, the family reunion dinner, served on Spring Festival eve, is a 4000-year-old tradition passed down through generations in China. A hearty feast, the dinner is also a historical record of Chinese traditions and culture, with every dish containing its own auspicious symbolism.
中国地大物博，每个地区的年夜饭都有自己的特色，每家的春节餐桌也不尽相同。小编选取了几种大家耳熟能详的年夜饭招牌菜，为大家制作了一份中英文双语的“人民网年夜饭菜单”，以后再向外国友人介绍我们引以为豪的文化传统时，就不会再词穷啦！
Though different regions have their own unique menu for the reunion dinner, all dishes are created to give blessings for the coming year. Preparing such a grand meal isn’t easy, but with our exclusive New Year menu, we hope to ensure your food and décor are on point this year!
饺子
对于生活在北方的中国人而言，饺子是必备的年夜佳肴。饺子谐音“交子”，蕴含着辞旧迎新，拥抱未来的美好愿景。饺子的馅料也很有讲究，比如白菜馅预示着“百财”，而韭菜馅意味着“长长久久”。
With a history of more than 1,800 years, dumplings, also known as jiaozi (饺子) in Chinese, are a traditional dish eaten on Spring Festival eve, especially in northern China.
In Chinese, the pronunciation of dumplings sounds the same as 交子 (jiaozi). 交 means “exchange,” while 子 means the midnight hours. Combined, jiaozi means the exchange between the old and new year, while people who eat dumplings are said to leave the past behind, and embrace a new year.
Traditionally, dumplings are made to look like ancient Chinese gold ingots, which were at one point used as currency. Popular fillings include Chinese cabbage, which represents wealth, as well as green leeks, which symbolize everlasting affluence. Rumor has it that the more dumplings you eat during the reunion dinner, the more money you will make in the coming year.
In many regions, a white thread is wrapped inside one of the dumplings, and the person who picks it is believed to gain longevity in the future. Coins are also placed inside some dumplings, and those who choose them are supposed to become rich in the coming year.
In addition to its delicious flavor, the process of making dumplings is also a family custom during the Spring Festival. During dinner preparations, all family members will wrap dumplings together, while in specific regions, the daughter-in-law must make dumplings for the older family members to be considered part of the family.
Recipe丨Dumplings
Flavor: salty
Cooking method: boil, steam or simmer
Cultural Connotation: Jiaozi means sending a farewell to the past, as well as receiving wealth and happiness in the coming year
汤圆
与北方人不同，南方许多地区在春节期间会吃汤圆。汤圆寓意团圆，浑圆的形状也被视为家庭幸福，和和美美的象征。需要注意的是，北方的元宵和南方的汤圆还是有差异的。从做法上看，元宵通常用干粉滚制而成，汤圆则是用糯米烫揉后的湿粉包成。元宵通常是在春节的最后一天，也就是元宵节食用，而汤圆则多出现在年夜饭的餐桌上。
Glutinous rice balls, or Tangyuan (汤圆), is a sweet dish served during the Spring Festival in southern China. Unlike dumplings, the dough of Tangyuan is made using glutinous rice powder and has a sweet filling made of ingredients such as red bean paste, fruit and brown sugar.
The rice balls are usually cooked and served in boiling water with fermented glutinous rice and sweet ginger syrup, though in some regions, they can also be deep-fried to add a stronger flavor. Glutinous rice balls are usually shared among all family members. Their round shape signifies family togetherness, while tangyuan is a homophone for union (团圆-tuanyuan).
Popular in both northern and southern China, glutinous rice balls may take different forms or names in different regions. In the north of China, this dish is usually called yuan xiao (元宵) and is served during the lantern festival, the 15th day of Chinese New Year, while in south China, the rice balls are typically served in a savory soup made with Chinese radish and homemade fish cake on New Year's Eve.
Recipe丨Glutinous rice balls
Flavor: sweet
Cooking method: boil or fry
Cultural Connotation: the round shape represents completeness and reunion
蔬菜佳肴
蔬菜是年夜饭桌上必不可少的美味。许多蔬菜因谐音吉利，而成为中国人喜爱的春节食材。
在中国北方大部分地区，白菜是必不可少的年夜饭菜肴。白菜谐音“百财”，有着财源滚滚，八方来财的美好寓意；韭菜则谐音“久财”，意味着长长久久，幸福美满。
在南方，莲藕和莲子是春节餐桌上的常客，因为莲藕和莲子寓意多子多福，家运昌盛。
Vegetables play a significant role on the reunion dinner table. Traditionally, all vegetable dishes have related to a play on words, with every recipe containing a good wish for the coming year.
Though the choice of vegetables may differ in different regions, several familiar vegetable dishes are eaten across China during the new year. For instance, one recipe including Chinese cabbage and lotus seeds is popular during the Spring Festival, as in Chinese, cabbage is a homophone of “unlimited wealth,” while lotus seeds represent a blessing for many children and a healthy family.
In south China, bamboo shoots are considered a lucky vegetable dish for the reunion dinner, as they represent longevity as well as good fortune. In north China, the leek is typically made into a salad or a filling for dumplings, because it sounds similar to 久, meaning everlasting fortune.
Recipe丨Vegetable stew
Flavor: sweet, salty or spicy
Cooking method: boil, fry or steam
Cultural Connotation: a symbol of good fortune, health, and happiness
鲜鱼
无论南方北方，年夜饭上一定会有一道鲜鱼佳肴。北方人喜食油炸带鱼，南方人热爱蒸鱼鱼羹。中文中“鱼”和“余”发音相同，后者有富余之意。在中国人看来，凡事留有余地，日后方得进益，因此春节吃鱼也是完全可以理解的了。
For every Chinese family, fish is an indispensable part of the reunion dinner. In Chinese, fish has the same pronunciation as 余 (yu), which means surplus. For Chinese people, it is always good to have saved something by the end of the year, so that more good fortune will follow.
The typical blessing of the fish dish is 年年有余, an idiom wishing people a surplus of food and money in the new year. It is also essential to choose the right type of fish. The Crucian carp and Chinese mud carp are most often used in the reunion dinner, as the first character of crucian carp (鲫鱼, jìyú) sounds like the Chinese word 吉 (jí, good luck), while the Chinese word for mud carp has a similar pronunciation to the word for gift.
When eating the fish dish, the head and the tail must be left intact. This practice echoes the Chinese idiom 有头有尾, with the literal meaning “having both head and tail,” which represents the idea of concluding the unfinished, as well as moving towards a positive start.
During the reunion dinner, the fish head must be placed toward elders or distinguished guests to show respect, while those sitting facing the head and tail of the fish should drink and toast together, to bring good luck to all family members.
Recipe丨New year fish
Cultural Connotation: a symbol of surplus
红烧肉
红烧肉的做法因地制宜。以江浙名菜东坡肉为例，文豪苏东坡提出烧猪肉加酒小火慢煨的做法，做出的红烧肉味道软糯，酒香醇厚。湖南名菜毛氏红烧肉则摒弃酱油上色的传统做法，改用炒好的焦糖上色，口感绵软，滋味鲜美。
Red braised pork belly is a traditional Chinese dish with a history of over 1,500 years. In his famous book, Qi Min Yao Shu, agronomist Jia Sixie explained the dish’s cooking process, noting that this dish was a firm favorite during the 5th century.
The dish ordinarily uses pork belly, ginger, aromatic spices, sugar, soy sauce and star anise. The meat is cooked until the fat and skin are gelatinous, with a soft and oily flavor.
Many Chinese gastronomes have improved the flavor of traditional red braised pork belly. Su Dongpo, one of the most prominent Chinese writers living in the Song Dynasty, added wine, so that the flavor of the pork is oily but not greasy, with a subtle fragrance. Chinese leader Mao Zedong also liked red braised pork belly, though he preferred to eat it without soy sauce, favoring extra sugar and salt to replicate soy's rich flavor.
This dish is a reminder of Chinese idiom 红红火火 (red and fire), which means to prosper as much as red fire.
Recipe丨Red braised pork belly
Flavor: sweet or salty
Cooking method: red cook
Cultural Connotation: a symbol of prosperity and a booming career
福果
春节期间不可或缺的饭后餐点就是各种拥有吉祥寓意的水果，也就是福果了。最常见的福果包括福橘和柚子。中学语文课本中有一篇鲁迅先生写的《阿长与山海经》，其中就提到过年期间吃福橘的习俗。福橘和柚子都是圆形的水果，象征着家族和睦，团团圆圆。橘谐音“吉”，意味着来年吉祥如意，柚谐音“又”，意味着来年福气不断，都是吉祥的水果。
Certain fruits are eaten during the Spring Festival, especially tangerines and pomelos. Round in shape and golden in color, these fruits are believed to bring abundance to the family, while their pronunciations also sound lucky to Chinese people.
In Chinese, tangerine (桔, ju) sounds similar to the Chinese word for luck (吉, ji), while the Chinese for pomelo (柚, you) sounds like the word for “again” (又, you), thus eating both fruits means continuous prosperity and good luck.
2019年春节将至
各国驻华大使提前给大家拜年啦！
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