Celebrations of the Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival have just ended. It is the most important holiday in Chinese culture and lasts for 15 days. The most important meal of the year is the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner. All the family members, no matter where they are, try to get together for this special dinner. If they truly can’t, the rest of the family will leave their spot empty and place a spare set of utensils for them. This means there are many special dishes including Chinese desserts and snacks in-between.
We recently mentioned some great Chinese desserts and New Year Dishes, this article refers to the snacks that people have during the New Year celebrations or at any time of the year.
1. Baked Seeds
Baked seeds are a very popular snack in China. They even have a term specifically for the act of cracking the seed open with your teeth and eating it-kē. Among numerous options, they greatly enjoy sunflower seeds. Not only do they make a good snack, but they are also a part of many cakes and desserts. Other choices include seeds of pumpkins, watermelons, sponge gourds and cucumbers.
A plate or bag of seeds is taken out if there’s a guest. It’s on the table between meals; it’s there beside the TV. People say that baked seeds are great snacks because you can start and stop eating as you wish. But it’s addictive and you probably won’t stop until it’s time for the main meal!
Source: Kristine’s Kitchen
2. Malt Candy
Though not common in everyday food nowadays, malt is China’s traditional sugar. Before the Chinese New Year officially starts, there’s the “little year”. It takes place on the 23rd of Lunar December and is the day of the Stove God. People must make malt candy on that day. Grains, peanuts, and jujubes are mixed into squares of malt candy. This will sweeten the Stove God’s mouth so he will praise the family when he reports to the Jade Emperor. He returns on New Year’s Eve to give out blessings or deal punishments. Malt candy has many variations and is among one of the most famous Chinese desserts.
Malt melon gourd
In some parts of China, malt is shaped into a melon. These candied melons are sweet with a hint of sourness. Kept outside in the winter air, the malt stays hard but chewy. It used to be a very common snack. But due to the long and tiring making process, malt melons are rarely available nowadays.
Candied Syrup
Malt syrup is also a resource for more delicate art- Sugar paintings or squeezed candy people. This Chinese dessert has a history of more than 600-year history. In the winter, they can be seen alongside busy streets and small neighborhoods. Through blowing, stretching, squeezing and the use of tools (ex: toothpicks and chopsticks), the malt is shaped into various figures. During Chinese New Year, they’re commonly available as the zodiac animal of the year or auspicious symbols.
You can read more about mesmerizing Chinese Sugar Painting here.
Source: Artisaway
Candied Haw
Traditionally a winter-time snack, but people can enjoy candied haw in any season. Hawthorn berry skewers are coated with malt syrup. You can find other fruits other than hawthorn berries, for example, grapes, walnuts, red bean paste, etc. Met with the brisk winter air, the malt hardens quickly. The resulting snack is cold, sweet and sour. You can usually find candied haw at a Chinese desserts section of a small restaurant, street-side vendors or tea houses.
Source: YoYo Chinese
Peanut Candy
Peanut candy is another simple yet ancient snack. The basic ingredients are only peanuts and malt syrup. Mixed together and cut into squares, it is a sweet and crispy treat.
Source: The Woks of Life
3. Popped Rice
You can find rice everywhere in Chinese cuisine. There are so many different ways the Chinese people cook rice: steaming, boiling, stir-frying, pan-frying, and the list goes on. “Poprice” is made the same way as popcorn, but is much healthier. Rather than drenching rice with oil, salt, caramel, etc., popped rice retains the natural flavor of rice. It’s a simple and easy snack to make. However, many have abandoned this folk snack for more fashionable treats.
The traditional making process is complicated and difficult. It involves soaking, steaming, flattening and popping of the rice. However, nowadays, there is now a machine that performs all of those steps. On the Little Year, people will make the candy with popped rice and malt. It represents a year of wealth and prosperity, and sweet days. The candies are large enough to keep you satisfied between meals. Crispy and chewy at the same time, it’s popular among adults and children alike. During the New Year celebrations, you can get this candy from any local store.
Source: Cook Click ‘n’ Devour
4. Ginger Candy
Ginger candy has been around since the Ming Dynasty. Ingredients include fresh ginger, salt, white sugar, and natural seasoning. After mixing the ingredients, the candy is put under the sun until it’s completely dry. For those who have colds or stomachaches, it also makes for a quick prescription. With a unique taste and the ability to warm you up, ginger candy is the best snack for the winter.
Source: The Daring Gourmet
5. Fried Dough Twists
In the past, the region of Daying was supposedly infested with poisonous scorpions. To place a curse on them, every household stretched dough into long strips. They twisted them into the shape of a scorpion’s tail, deep-fried it and ate it. With time, these “scorpion tails” transformed into what we now know as fried dough twists (or braided dough). It is on the list of top Chinese desserts. Rich in protein and low in fat, it’s a good snack for the Chinese New Year. Fried dough twists can be both savory and sweet. They are usually fried until golden. A new type with herbs is also available in the market now.
Source: Kawaling Pinoy
6. Ox Tongue Pastry
As the name suggests, these pastries resemble an ox’s tongue in shape. After rolling the dough into long flat strips, it is covered with sweet sauces and sprinkled with sesame seeds before being baked or fried. They also come in savory flavors with meat and onion filling. You can find many variations around China.
The Yilan pastries are long, thin and crunchy. There is no filling but the dough contains honey and sugar, thus giving it a sweet flavor. Lukan pastries, on the other hand, include a malt filling and are usually egg-like in shape. Whatever the type and filling, ox tongue pastries make one healthy snack.
Source: My Kitchen 101en
7. Persimmon Cakes
While waiting for midnight on New Year’s Eve, many will snack on some persimmon cakes. Fruits are always an auspicious treat. To make the cakes, skin, dry, flatten and frost the persimmons. Once they dry, a white powder forms around the persimmons called “persimmon frost’, and farmers believe that it’s the best time to make cakes. This Chinese dessert is so good that it’s hard to stop at just one.
Source: SBS
8. Fruit Platter
A platter of fruits is usually present as an offering to the ancestors and gods. Dried fruits are most common in the season. If you’re looking to create a platter full of blessings, here are some you can include:
- Kumquats, tangerines, oranges: Because of the golden color, these fruits represent wealth and prosperity.
- Peaches: They are said to be the fruit of the gods. They represent longevity and health.
- Grapes: Grapes come in bunches. They represent bountiful harvests.
- Pomegranates: This fruit represents a large family, the ultimate blessing for most Chinese.
Source: use real butter
Have you noticed that even the Chinese desserts and snack items usually include healthy and robust ingredients, unlike most snack options around the world? This is true for most Chinese cuisines, whether sweet or savory. Being one of the top Halal Chinese Restaurants, we at Usmania Chinese are committed to providing the best Chinese food in Chicago. We offer a wide variety of Halal Chinese dishes including authentic Chinese cuisine and Indo-Chinese cuisine. Visit us to enjoy our wonderful cuisines with friends and family.