Welcome the Year of the Snake with a festive dinner party celebrating centuries-old Chinese food traditions.
Signature Drink
Pomegranate-Ginger Prosecco Cocktails
With their striking red color—said to promote happiness and ward off evil spirits—and plentiful seeds, representing fertility, pomegranates are a great choice for any Chinese New Year party.
Appetizer
Pork and Cabbage Dumplings
Getting together to make dumplings is a popular Chinese New Year family tradition. An assembly line ensures everyone gets in on the cooking fun. Some families tuck a coin inside one of the dumplings—in the hopes that the brave eater who finds it is in for a lucky year.
Side Dishes
Asian Shrimp and Noodle Salad
Noodles are a staple of the Chinese diet and a great complement to the crunch of this refreshing salad, full of Chinese cabbage, shrimp and snow peas. When preparing noodles for Chinese New Year, try to keep them in one piece; long noodles represent a long life.
Stir-Fry Broccoli and Carrots
Everyone loves a good stir-fry, and since the Chinese New Year kicks off the spring planting season, it's the perfect opportunity to use up any veggies you have on hand—don’t forget about those tucked in the freezer!—and make room for fresh greens.
Main Course
From traditional duck and rice—good for loyalty, fertility, luck and wealth—to chicken with kumquats, symbolizing togetherness and prosperity, and fish—believed to help your wishes come true in the coming year—these main courses are full of Chinese New Year custom and meaning.
Duckling with Orange Sauce
Peking Duck
Asian Chicken with Kumquat Sauce
Grilled Salmon with Honey-Soy Marinade
Dessert
Chinese Five Spice Almond Cookies
This spicy, delicate cookie gets a twist from a Chinese blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and fennel—and is the perfect end to a festive dinner party.
Tangerine Ombre Cake
For those looking to pull out all the stops, this impressive dessert showcases two of the most common food symbols of the Chinese New Year: tangerines (wealth) and oranges (good luck), whose bright, happy color is associated with good fortune.