1. jiaozi

jiaozi is an indispensable food at the dinner table in the north, and dumplings are homophonic, meaning "making friends at a younger age". In addition, jiaozi looks like an ingot. Eating jiaozi during the Spring Festival means "making money into treasure". People will also wrap coins in jiaozi, so people who eat this jiaozi will have good fortune in the new year.

2. New Year's cakes

In early Suzhou, people always made new year's cakes to commemorate Wu Zixu, and later they gradually became popular all over the country, such as red dates in Shandong, baiguo cakes in Beijing, taro cakes in Fujian, red and white sugar cakes, Shuimo cakes in Ningbo, sweet osmanthus cakes in Suzhou and so on. The homophonic "Niangao" of rice cakes is a necessary food for the Spring Festival, which places people's expectation of "Niangao".

3. Fish

The Spring Festival diet pays attention to good meanings. Of course, fish is indispensable. It is usually the last dish on the table. In some places, this dish is basically left behind, meaning "more than one year". And some places are also particular about choosing the fish in the New Year's Eve dinner. Silver carp is more than one year, crucian carp and carp are prosperous, and salmon is more than wealth.

4. Wonton

In Jingjiang, Jiangsu, you must eat wonton whether you are entertaining guests, celebrating holidays or holding happy events. On the morning of New Year's Eve, every household began to chop vegetables and stuff wonton, and they ate it from the 3th to the 15th of the first month. "Wonton is wine, and the more you eat it, the more you have it", which pinned Jingjiang people's good wishes for the new year.

5. Tangyuan

Tangyuan should be eaten for breakfast on New Year's Day in Sichuan. On this day, Tangyuan is called "Yuanbao", and eating Tangyuan is called "DeYuanbao", which means reunion, perfection and sweetness. Yangzhou people want to eat Sixi Tangyuan on the first day of the New Year, which means all the best and family reunion. Shanghainese also eat glutinous rice balls for breakfast on the first day of the New Year, which means that they are full, rich and powerful.

Reference: Xinhuanet-Inventory of traditional Spring Festival delicacies in various places.