3 Bay Area chefs on what they cook for Chinese New Year

"What kind of food will be popping up on tables during the 2026 Lunar New Year? In Chinese culture not the only Asian culture to celebrate the holiday, surely, but a big one in the Bay Area think whole fish, which represents family and sharing. Or think dumplings, which represent wealth and good fortune with shapes recalling gold ingots. And across regions and families, there are, of course, the personal traditions that mark this most auspicious holiday."

"Egg rolls or spring rolls are something that I feel every family has to have. It symbolizes wealth because of the way that it's shaped they say it looks like bars of gold. I actually grew up making them with family. The big feast is at night, but as people are cooking, the rolls are like a snack that gets you through the day. By dinner, everybody's probably had a couple golden bars' to snack on, but you know, you can never have enough gold."

"Our family specifically, we eat nian gao, a sticky rice cake. It's very prevalent in Shanghainese families. It's sliced rice cakes that get stir-fried with pork or Chinese sausage, and then there's vegetables in it. We also have it in sweet form, which is a pressed sticky-rice cake. It has dates, and it's red, and you slice it and eat it in the morning on New Year's Day."

Lunar New Year tables often feature whole fish, representing family and sharing, and dumplings shaped like gold ingots to symbolize wealth and good fortune. Noodles are served to convey longevity. Egg rolls or spring rolls are common snacks throughout the day, likened to gold bars and eaten before the evening feast. Shanghainese families commonly eat nian gao, a sticky rice cake prepared savory—sliced and stir-fried with pork or Chinese sausage and vegetables—or sweet, pressed with dates and sliced for New Year's morning. Regional and family traditions create diverse menus and ritual meanings across celebrations.

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