Traditional Good Luck Foods
January 19, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Las Vegas
• 0 Comments
Traditional Good Luck Foods
New Years day is considered an important day in many cultures, steeped in cultural and family traditions. One such tradition, popular around the globe, is eating foods that are meant to bring good luck to your family in the New Year. If you have a love for the culinary arts and would like to learn how to make traditional lucky foods this New Year, Las Vegas cooking schools offer a variety of interesting and informative courses. Here are just a few of the many good luck foods popular the world over.
Noodles
There is a tradition in many Asian countries to eat long noodles on New Year’s day. If you are able to eat the whole noodle without it breaking on the way to your mouth it is a sign of a good long line.
Legumes
Lentils, beans and peas are a common good luck food served around the globe on New Year’s day. Their small round shape is reminiscent of coins and is usually associated with prosperity in the New Year. In America black-eyed peas are usually served with greens. In Japan part of the New Year tradition is to eat sweet, black beans called kuro-mame. In Brazil the first dinner of the New Year is traditionally lentils and rice or lentil soup and in Germany a dish of beans and pork is common.
Fish
Fish is another dish commonly considered to bring good luck in the New Year. Ever since the Middle Ages cod has been a part of holiday celebrations and remains popular in North Africa, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean where it is commonly served on News Year Day. One possible ex plantation for its popularity is the Churches belief that believers should not consume red meat on Sundays or major holidays.
Grapes
Originating in Spain and later spreading to Portugal, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru, it is tradition to consume 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Each grape represents a month and depending on whether the grape is sweet or sour it is believed that is predicts which months will be prosperous and which will be difficult.
Pork
In many countries around the globe pork in consumed on New Year’s as a symbol of progress. In some countries a young suckling pig is roasted whereas in Sweden and Germany roast pork and sausages are popular. In Italy and America eating pork has become popular culinary arts symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Pomegranates
In Turkey and many Mediterranean countries pomegranates are eaten on New Years because of their association with abundance and fertility.
Round Cakes and Sweets
From Mexico’s rosca de reyes to Greece’s vasilopita it is a common practice around the globe to bake cakes with a hidden trinket, coin or nut baked inside. It is believed that the person that finds the item baked into the cake will have good luck in the coming year.
To learn more about preparing holiday dishes like black-eyed peas with greens or to learn how to prepare pomegranates consider enrolling in of the fantastic Las Vegas cooking schools.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Las Vegas, Nevada. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Las-Vegas for more information.
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