Lucky Foods Around the World

Sayonara 2022. I’m done hearing about the triple pandemic, a bearish stock market, and dreadful domestic and international news. We all could use good juju. So, what can we do to set up for a successful 2023? Eat lucky foods, of course! This post explores a tasty global table to ensure good luck for 2023. Different cultures have a variety of eating customs that symbolize prosperity, longevity, bounty, and fertility. And, as usual, GFL gives a curated list of recipe ideas to make and online shops to check out. Why not have a little fun whether you are super- or little-stitious? Enjoy!

Fruits

Grapes

In the US, we watch the crystal ball drop from Times Square to ring in the New Year. In Spain, the country watches national TV to listen to an 18th-century clock chime twelve times while holding a bowl of 12 lucky green grapes, known as las doce uvas de la suerte. It is believed that each grape represents the months of the year. The bell chimes 12 times (representing each month to come) with a two-second pause in between. The tradition is to wolf a grape with each dong. And to prevent misfortune for the coming year, all 12 lucky grapes must be eaten in time! However, this custom is more like a fun tradition, and people do not take the superstition too seriously. 

Eating 12 grapes to welcome the New Year is also practiced in Mexico. However, people believe that the grape’s taste–sweet, sour, or bitter– will influence luck. So, foresight is key; buy and taste-test the grapes before the New Year. Also, in Mexico, the people believe that each grape represents a wish, so before the stroke of midnight, a person must reflect on something they hope for or an area to improve in the coming year.  

Meanwhile, in Portugal, the people found that gobbling 12 grapes is not easy, so their custom is to eat 12 raisins for each stroke of the clock to bring good luck.

In addition, the Brazilians believe that grapes bring abundance. However, they adhere to the lucky sevens and eat 7 grapes.

Pomegranate

The pomegranate is a symbolic fruit for the Greeks, Persians, and Turks. The pomegranate fruit is believed to represent fertility and abundance with its many seeds. In the Jewish culture, pomegranate is served during Rosh Hashanah, and each seed eaten represents a wish to be fulfilled. The Brazilians, too, eat seven pomegranate seeds for prosperity.

Round Fruits

In the Philippines, people serve 12 different round fruits on New Year’s Day for prosperity, as the round shape represents coins. Typical fruits include apples, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, longan (dragon eye), rambutan, guava, plum, Asian pear, orange, persimmon, peaches, honeydew, and cherry. Thankfully, a person only needs to take a bite from each fruit!

Legumes

Lentils

Although each culture has its own way of preparing lentils, the Italians, Hungarians, Brazilians, other Latin cultures, and Nigerians believe that eating this legume means having an abundance of fortune and prosperity. The legumes resemble coins, and when cooked, they expand in size. In Chile, the custom is to eat a spoonful of lentils at midnight for the promise of a year filled with work and money. 

Black-eyed Peas

In the Southeast of the United States, black-eyed peas are eaten for good luck on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, and the tradition began during the Civil War. The Confederate soldiers ate black-eyed peas during the harsh winter to survive, and since then, this legume has been a symbol of fortune and prosperity. The peas resemble coins and symbolize wealth; people believe they must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Black-eyed peas are often served with green vegetables (collard, mustard, turnip, or cabbage), representing paper money. Sometimes, the black-eyed peas are combined with tomato to represent wealth and health. Interestingly, black-eyed peas are also called Texas caviar and are served with tortilla chips. 

Pork

Many cultures serve pork during New Year’s because pigs root forward when they sniff out to forage, which symbolizes progress. Many cultures, such as the Germans, Eastern Europeans, Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, Cubans, Pennsylvania Dutch, Filipinos, Japanese, and Chinese eat pork on New Year’s Day to symbolize progress, good luck, and prosperity. 

Fish

So, the story goes that fish is believed to be a lucky food because the fish swims forward and in schools signifying progress and abundance. The fish scales resemble silver coins, and the fish roe symbolizes fertility. On New Year’s Day, the Polish, Danes, Scandinavians, Germans, and Japanese traditionally eat fish such as pickled herring, salted cod, sardines, and anchovies to ensure progress and abundance in the year ahead. And the Chinese word for fish is a homonym for surplus, and it is tradition to eat the fish whole to ensure unity. In my home, we usually prepare at least two whole fish and save the rest to eat the next day to represent that we will always have enough. 

Cornbread and Tamales

In the southern United States, cornbread is an essential part of the New Year’s meal because its color resembles gold. Sometimes, cooks would add extra corn kernels to the batter at this time of year. The kernels symbolize golden nuggets, which translates to having extra spending money for next year. 

In Mexico, eating New Year’s Day Tamales is a tradition. The golden color of the corn and the husk stand for wealth. It is a custom to make labor-intensive tamales, and families and friends usually gather to make these delicacies. Thus, tamales are venerated for family unity. 

Vegetables

Sauerkraut

For centuries, the Germans have traditionally paired sauerkraut with pork for New Year’s celebrations for good luck. These traditions were brought to the United States, and families of German descent in Ohio and Pennsylvania continue this custom. 

Variety of Green Vegetables

Green symbolizes money in almost all cultures today. Prepare trays of nutritious greens like kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, green cabbage, and lettuce for added luck and fiber!

Long Noodles

Enjoy slurping long noodles that symbolize longevity! In Japan, eating a bowl of soba or udon on New Year’s Eve represents crossing over from one year to the next. This tradition is called toshikoshi. The Chinese serve Yi-Mein (long-life noodles) on Lunar New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The length of the noodle represents longevity, so care must be taken not to break the noodle when preparing or eating. Slurp away.

Round-shaped Desserts

The Greeks serve vasilopita on New Year’s Eve. It is a bready aromatic cake infused with orange and vanilla with a lucky coin baked inside. The person who gets the coin is blessed with a year of good luck. So make sure to look for the coin before eating your cake. 

The kagami mochi is a sweet New Year’s traditional treat in Japan. This elegant dessert is stacked with two mochi cakes of different sizes, the smaller on top of the larger base, and the top is decorated with a piece of small mandarin or persimmon. The two layers of mochi promise to bring double good luck; the mandarin hopes to bring prosperity, while the persimmon stands for longevity. Also, sticky rice is believed to improve bonding among family and friends. 

Doughnuts are lucky New Year’s food for people in Poland, Netherlands, and Hungary. Holland’s version of fried dough is called oliebollen, small puffy balls filled with apples, raisins, and currants topped with powdered sugar. Meanwhile, they eat chiacchiere, a fried dough rolled in honey and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar in Italy. 

GFL Tips & Suggestions

Fruits

Grapes

According to Epicurious, there are a few things to remember when buying grapes. First, purchase plump-looking fruit with green, pliable stems; the fruit should not fall off the bunch. Grapes can stay fresh in the fridge for a week to 10 days in a perforated container, open bowl, or roomy container to prevent overcrowding. And the table grape commission states that the whitish coating on the skin is natural and helps prevent moisture loss and decay. 

Pomegranate

Bon Appetit recommends selecting fruits that feel heavy for their size, and the skin is hard with minimal cracks and bruises. Buy the most humungous fruit you can find that will yield more juice. The pomegranate can be kept at room temperature for a week and two weeks in the fridge. Pomegranates are available in most supermarkets.  

Persimmon

There are two types of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiya, available in the US, according to Epicurious. I enjoy the firm Fuyu variety more than the Hachiya because these firm fruits are ripe and ready to eat, while a firm Hachiya will be bitter to eat and needs several days to get squishy soft. The Fuyu is squat like a tomato, while the acorn-shaped Hachiya is bigger. Choose blemish-free fruits. The black spots on the persimmon’s skin could be due to sunburn but do not affect the taste. When choosing Fuyu, pick the most symmetrical fruits; a lopsided fruit may contain large seeds. The Fuyu variety can be refrigerated for weeks to months, while the Hachiyas need to be at room temperature to ripen. Once soft, the Hachiya should be moved to the fridge and will keep for at least 2 weeks. Persimmons are sold at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Asian supermarkets. 

Longan

Longan is a delicious, sweet, and juicy fruit. It has a nutty flavor and a melon-like aroma. It is a relative of the lychee and less perishable because they have firmer husks. The fruit is sold in fruit stands in Chinatown or in Asian supermarkets. The fruit can last several days in the refrigerator if you don’t finish it first. It’s that good!

Recipes

Lentils

Lentils with Cotechino: Italian

Lentil Soup: Turkish

Lentil Salad: French

Vegan Lentil Salad: Moroccan

Black-eyed Peas

Hoppin’ John: American

Hippie John (vegetarian): American

Texas Caviar: American

Stewed Black-eyed Peas: American

Pork

Pennsylvania Apple-Glazed Pork Roast with Sauerkraut: American

Braised Pork Belly: Chinese

Pernil: Puerto Rican; Dominican; Brazilian

Pork Chop Milanese: Italian

Crispy Pork with Seared Broccoli: Danish

Fish

Cioppino: Italian

Baked Cod: American

Grilled Branzino: Greek

Steamed Cantonese-Style Fish: Chinese

Bacalao Guisado: Puerto Rican

Deviled Eggs with Caviar and Salmon Roe: American

Long Noodles

Spicy Coconut Noodles: Asian

Toshikoshi Soba: Japanese

Momofuku Tingly Chili and Pumpkin Noodles: Asian

Bucatini with Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts: American

Cacio e Pepe: Italian

Angel Hair Pasta with Caviar and Lemon: American

Ready-made Goodies

Corn Bread: Whole Foods; Fresh Direct

Cheese and Green Chili Tamales: Trader Joe’s

Bubbie’s Mochi (Alphonse Mango Ice Cream Wrapped in Mochi): Whole Foods Gourmet Donut Shops: Delivery Everywhere

Thanks for reading, and even if you are not superstitious in any way, these traditions could add some fun and trivia to your celebrations. Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to all.