7 Edible Ways to “Get Lucky” This New Year!
New Year’s Day is a universal day of symbolism for new beginnings and fresh outlooks. Globally, on this day, people take auspicious measures to assure prosperity, good fortune, happiness, love and success. Depending upon who you are and where you are from, these measures may also determine what you eat. Even if fate is stronger than a bowl of Hoppin’ John, at least you’ll have a happy belly right?
Any kind of pork will do—be it, suckling pig, carnitas, or ham hocks. Pork is a sign of progress and moving forward. (Fowl are unlucky because they scratch backwards, signifying setbacks.)
1. Sweet Potato Pork Belly Hash: Try this hash any time of day to fulfill your New Year wish. (via Bon Appètit)
Beans, lentils, peas and basically anything circular are lucky because of their resemblance to coins (aka financial prosperity). Brazilians eat black beans, wear white, and hop on their right foot into the New Year.
2. Feijoada: Turn to Rio de Janeiro’s national dish to get your legume fix this New Year. (via Simply Recipes)
Cabbage, kale, collards, and sauerkraut all represent folded green cash. Southerners in the USA get a triple dose of luck in a bowl of Hoppin’ John involving pork, greens, and black-eyed peas.
3. Hoppin’ John: Try this vegetarian version, and get your double dose of luck. (via Food and Wine)
Do not cut or break your noodles—slurp them! This is crucial. Noodles signify long life. Cut them, and your life is shortened. It is customary to slurp noodles with gusto in Japan.
4. Ramen Noodle Soup: Don’t cut your life short, turn to Momofuku‘s infamous dish, to ensure a steaming bowl of slurp-worthy noodles. (via Foodie Buddah)
Go forth and multiply! Fish are symbolic of fertility, abundance, and moving forward. Germans and Poles always have pickled herring at New Year’s.
5. Pickled Herring 3-Ways: Third time’s a charm! Try your luck at one of these abundant herring recipes to move forward this New Year. (via The New York Times)
Popular in Spain and Portugal, 12 grapes are eaten—one for each month of the year. If grape number six tastes a bit sour, expect a shaky month.
6. Strawberry and Grappa Ruta Cocktail: No sour grapes for you this year — ¡Salud! to the New Year with this lucky cocktail. (via Dave DeGroff)
Baking cakes with a hidden good luck charm or coin is traditional on New Year’s, especially in Greece. The lucky one who bites into the piece with the charm or coin is bestowed good fortune.
7. Greek Vasilopita Cake: Don’t forget to insert coin for GOOD LUCK! (via Epicurious)
Here’s to getting lucky in 2014!
