Are you wondering what kinds of food might bring your family prosperity in the coming year? If you grew up in a Filipino household, you would know the 12 round fruits tradition very well. But there is more to the New Year’s Eve dinner table than those fruits. Keep reading if you don’t want to miss out on these lucky recipes to welcome 2022!
Celebrating New Year’s Eve or Media Noche in Filipino culture includes a large feast of food to attract good luck. Filipinos believe that serving as much food on the dinner table brings prosperity for the coming year. Listed below are the lucky recipes you might want to serve.
Noodles for Long Life
Noodles are believed to signify a long life. They are served during birthdays and holidays because they represent the length of time a person will live. This is why noodle recipes are popular during New Year’s Eve. They bring forth a long and prosperous life.
#1 Pancit Bihon
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Get the recipe here.
The classic recipe is simple and easy to make. Pancit Bihon uses thin rice noodles and is topped with assorted vegetables and meat. The noodles are cooked in a stew created from sautéed vegetables and meat. For New Year’s Eve, try adding pork instead of chicken.
Avoid Chicken
Filipinos believe that good luck will fly away if chicken is served on Media Noche. In addition, the beak of the chicken implies a life of “isang kahig, isang tuka” which is a Filipino saying that means just having enough to get by.
#2 Creamy Carbonara
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Get the recipe here
If you are not a fan of stir-fried or sautéed noodles, there is another great recipe for you. The classic creamy carbonara is quick to make and is loved by kids and adults alike. It makes use of a rich white sauce topped with parmesan cheese and bacon.
Fish and Leafy Greens for Wealth and Health
Serving fish and leafy greens on New Year’s Eve means attracting wealth. Why? Because 1) the scales of the fish represent the coins you wish to come pouring into your life, and 2) leafy greens symbolize money.
Aside from their lucky meaning, serving fish and leafy greens will help balance your family’s intake of fatty foods. Fish meat is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that help you build and maintain a healthy body. Leafy greens are low in calories and fat but high in fiber and nutrients.
#3 Grilled Tilapia
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Get the recipe here
If you want to serve a whole fish without removing the scales, you can try this Grilled Tilapia recipe. The fish is often stuffed with vegetables and spices making the overall dish flavorful and savory. It is then wrapped in aluminum foil to ensure that everything cooks evenly.
If you are not a fan of tilapia, then you can try red herring or bangus. You can also check other savory fish recipes.
#4 Lumpiang Sariwa
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Get the recipe here.
Lumpiang Sariwa brings together many vegetables all in one roll. It includes sweet potatoes, string beans, carrots, bean sprouts, and shrimp. Lumpiang Sariwa is also enjoyed with a mouthwatering sweet sauce garnished with ground nuts.
Do not forget the lettuce sitting on top of every roll to invite good health and good wealth.
Pork for Progress and Prosperity
Many Filipinos believe that the size of the pork served translates to the size of luck coming in for the new year. The bigger the pork, the more prosperous will a person be. In addition, pork is also believed to signify progress.
#5 Inihaw na Liempo
Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Get the recipe here.
If you have extra time to spare, you can prepare this all-time Filipino favorite: Inihaw na Liempo. Much of the work for this recipe is in marinating the meat. The pork belly chunks are immersed in different spices and seasonings to give that rich and savory taste. All these flavors then come to life after grilling.
Like any other Filipino barbecued pork, Inihaw na Liempo is best served with spiced vinegar and toyomansi.
#6 Pork Hamonado
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Get the recipe here.
Pork Hamonado is a Christmas dish that you can bring over to the New Year’s Eve dinner table. The pork is first tenderized with pineapple juice and then caramelized with sugar. It is easy to prepare and its sweet flavor will surely be enjoyed by everyone.
Sticky Rice Cakes for Bonds and Blessings
The stickiness of rice cakes is believed to strengthen and improve the relationships between family members. In addition, rice is a type of grain that symbolizes the abundant blessings to come in the coming year. This came from the reasoning that grains are never served in individual pieces but in bulk or abundance.
#7 Biko
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Get the recipe here.
Biko or sticky rice cake is a famous Filipino dessert that is chewy, sticky, and sweet. It has a unique flavor that comes from coconut milk. This recipe makes use of glutinous rice making it quick and easy to prepare.
What Comes After Luck
There’s no harm in believing what fortune can food bring to your family as you celebrate the new year. After all, these beliefs and superstitions have always been a part of the Filipino New Year tradition that makes the next year more hopeful.
But you must not miss the most important thing about luck and prosperity. It is one thing to believe in them but it is another thing to act on them and make them happen. For the coming year, believe and act on the luck you wish to attract.
Sources
First Gourmet Academy. (2019, September 17). Ten Lucky Dishes of Media Noche. Retrieved December 26, 2021, from First Gourmet Academy website: https://www.firstgourmetacademy.com/news-blog/ten-lucky-dishes-media-noche