5 Funny & Creative Names of Lunar New Year Chinese Dishes! — Simple Chinese Learning Material
Have you ever been scared away by the weird names in a restaurant, such as pig blood cakes? Let’s learn more names for Chinese or Lunar New Year and show off in front of your relatives!
As I assisted my family in selecting dishes for the upcoming Chinese New Year, I realized the plethora of unique names associated with these “宴客菜” (yàn kè cài), dishes meant for serving guests.
Here are the top five most interesting and creative ones:
1. Buddha Jumping Over The Wall (佛跳牆, fó tiào qiáng):
This renowned dish is served in a ceramic 罈 (tán, rice wine jar 🏺) and comprises extravagant ingredients such as large-sized abalones, shark fins, swallows’ nests, etc.
The dish’s name suggests its irresistible taste, enticing even strictly vegetarian Buddha monks to consider jumping over a wall of a temple for a taste!
Due to its ingredients, the price of one jar is usually exorbitant. However, despite of the reputation, I don’t recommend trying it as some components come from endangered species.
2. Ants Climbing A Tree (螞蟻上樹, mǎ yǐ shàng shù):
A common dish made from green bean noodles, vegetables, and ground meat. The name arises from the tiny ground meat clinging to the noodles, resembling ants climbing on twigs. How creative do you think the name is?
Moreover, although categorized as noodles, both Chinese and Taiwanese consider it a side dish best enjoyed with rice. According to a professional chef, a.k.a. my mom, this is because green bean noodles tend to make you hungry easily.
Teasing Japanese people about having ramen noodles and rice together might be something Taiwanese people should have thought twice about.
3. Meat Wrapped With Straws (稻草扎肉, dào cǎo zhā ròu):
According to the recipe I read, it’s akin to a 粽子 (zòng zi, steamed glutinous rice wrapped with bamboo leaves), but with a fatty pork version.
You simply need to wrap the pork with bamboo leaves and/or straws, then cook it in a sweet, savory, flavorful sauce for an extended period.
This allows the meat to fully absorb both the sauce and the fragrance of the leaves. And wrapping makes the meat more tender and chewier.
4. Fly’s Head (蒼蠅頭, cāng yíng tóu):
Rest assured, despite its unappetizing name, there are no flies in this dish. Perhaps the creator wasn’t adept at marketing… The creativity deserves applause anyway!
The name originates from the main ingredient: 黑豆豉 (hēi dòu chǐ, Chinese fermented black soybeans), which bear a resemblance to flies without wings.
Fermented soybeans, used in making soy sauce, impart a flavorful and savory profile to the dish, making it 下飯 (xià fàn, a perfect accompaniment to rice).
5. Lion’s Head (獅子頭, shī zi tóu):
Introducing another animal’s head!
You might wonder why it’s named after a lion, although it doesn’t resemble one.
Have you ever seen any 石獅子( shí shī zi, lion statues) in front of Chinese temples? Have you ever enjoyed the performance of 舞龍舞獅 ( wǔ lóng wǔ shī, Dragon and Lion Dances) ? Do they look like lions?
The truth is, ancient Chinese people, my ancestors, had likely never seen lions in reality. According to historical stories, which cannot be proven anymore, the first lion was sent to the emperor from a foreign country almost two thousand years ago.
However, at that time, there was no social media or cameras. Only the emperors and their relatives had the chance to see the animal. Other people then had to imagine its appearance based on textual descriptions.
Since most of them had never seen lions in reality. It simply became a symbol of luck.
The dish is round and red, which represents reunion and completion and cheerful. How to make it even more meaningful?
Exactly, add a lion to the name!
There are so many interesting and weird and creative names in the piles of recipes. Understanding the background stories of them is always a fun challenge, even for us natives 😆
Thank you for reading until the end. Hope you enjoyed the journey with me.
Feel free to clap, leave comments, or share any feedback or questions!
新年快樂！
Xīn nián kuài lè!
Happy Chinese or Lunar New Year!
If you are interested in knowing more about Chinese food and culture, please read these articles as well:
