Cuisine & Art

Food Symbolism: Chinese eat dishes which have various meanings for them. Below are several examples.

dried bean curd: fulfillment of wealth and happiness
bamboo shoots: sounds like "wishing everything will be well"
whole fish: togetherness and abundance
noodles: long life
oranges & tangerines: abundant happiness
lychee nut: strong family relationships
peanuts: long life
lotus seed: many children
ginkgo nut: silver ingots
black moss seaweed: exceeding in wealth

Lion's Head Meatballs: Traditionally this Shanghai casserole dish featuring oversized pork meatballs and greens is made with pork fat and cooked in a sand clay pot. The large meatballs are meant to represent a lion, and the shredded greens its mane.