Good luck food for a lucky New Year

22/08/2007

When planning your next New Year’s Eve party be sure to include some “good luck” foods in the catering. Food is important to all humans for sustenance and maintenance. Many cultures around the world use food to represent good luck during the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Many of these good luck dishes represent money, wealth or decadence. The Chinese love to serve noodles for long life or spring rolls, which represent gold bars. The number of dishes they serve is always an even number, which helps to double the luck and they don’t use knives to cut their vegetables as this would cut into the luck. In Northern China dumplings are served as they look like gold nuggets and therefore represent fortune and wealth.

In Italy lentils, which can be served as a meat or vegetarian dish, represent coins and the people of Piedmont serve copious amounts of ruce, such as risottos for abundant wealth. Italians also eat sweets for good luck for the coming year. The Romans of ancient times would give circular cakes, figs, dates and nuts as good luck gifts during the New Year celebrations.

A casserole containing black-eye peas called Hoppin’ John is served in the southern states of America. The black-eye peas represent coins. They also serve collards, which represent the green dollar notes. Having lots of dishes and food on the table will help for the coming year to be a happy and plentiful one.

Why not serve a food that is lucky for you? This may be a dish that you had on your first date with your partner or the food you have at every special occasion. You could even ask friends and family who are attending what their good luck foods are and have a few represented at the New Year’s Eve party meal. Share the good luck with all your guests.

Other decadent foods to include are those from the luxury bracket such as caviar and smoked seafood. Shrimp, mussels, oysters, trout, scallops or salmon are also excellent options. Serve with a light green salad, a cheese platter and breads.

Finish off the meal with a rich and decadent dessert. Chocolate tortes, cakes, cheesecakes, pies, handmade chocolates and anything else you can think of that will be interesting and delicious for your guests and add to the decadent, wealth inducing atmosphere of your New Year’s Eve party. And don’t forget the very decadent champagne for the midnight New Year’s Eve party toast.