Lucky meals

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

Twenty-four pieces of garlic on the dining table signifies new opportunities in the New Year, says feng shui expert Joy Lim of Charms & Crystals.

Garlic is one of the auspicious foods for the Year of the Ox, which starts on Jan. 26.

?The Cantonese name of garlic is suin mei and this means having plenty of money to count,? explains Lim.

She says the 24 pieces should be replaced all round.

The rice urn, on the other hand, is considered the stomach of the family and it represents income, savings, business and wealth abundance.

?Fill your urn with a sack of rice,? says Lim. ?For those who are already practicing this ritual, add money divided into denominations of 9 inside the red packet that was kept at the bottom of your rice urn last year. Remember not to leave your rice urn empty as it symbolizes draining.?

For the Year of the Ox, the ?fruitful? fruits, according to Lim, are pineapple, apple and orange.

Lim explains that the pineapple in Chinese is ong lay, which means ?the king is coming.?

?To keep a sense of peace and harmony in the home, it is recommended that you place 24 pieces of green and red apples at the center of your home,? says Lim.

Oranges, she adds, are also a good way of welcoming the pot of golden opportunities that 2009 brings.

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year and ends with the full moon 15 days later. More food is consumed during the celebrations than any other time of the year. A vast amount of traditional food is prepared for family and friends.

Among the auspicious foods for the New Year are abalone, black moss, oysters, prawns and raw fish salad.

Abalone, yu in Mandarin, is lucky because its name sounds similar to the word for abundance while black moss or fa cai, which are fine and hair-like, sounds like ?becoming rich? in Mandarin so eating it is thought to bring wealth.

Oysters (ho see or hao shi) is said to be auspicious because its name sounds like good news or good business.

Prawn is considered a happy food because ha, the Cantonese word for it, sounds like laughter while raw fish salad symbolizes abundance and longevity.

Other must-haves are a whole fish, representing togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity. The chicken must be presented with a head, tail and feet to symbolize completeness while noodles should be uncut as they represent long life.

In south China, the favorite dishes are ning gao, steamed white glutinous rice pudding, and zong zi, glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves.

In the north, steamed wheat bread or ma-tou and small meat dumplings are the preferred food.

During the celebrations, etiquette dictates that guests bring a bag of oranges and tangerines. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one?s relationship with the other remains secure. Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.

Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila welcomes the Year of the Ox with a 15-day celebration from Jan. 26 to Feb. 5. A selection of family set menus will be available at Xian Tian Di Restaurant. Each menu is designed in accordance with Chinese beliefs and traditions. Auspicious ingredients such as black moss, oysters and prawns are lavishly used in dishes such as steamed prawns with garlic, braised pata tim with sea moss, whole dried scallops with sea moss, braised dried oysters with sea moss and vegetables, fried whole taro with fresh scallops and prawns and Chef?s Divine Platter.

Another distinctive way to start a Chinese New Year feast is the tossing of the Yu Sheng or raw fish salad?which is composed of raw fish slices, and shredded fresh and candied fruits and vegetables tossed in a delicious plum sauce. Each ingredient in the salad symbolizes long life and prosperity. Traditionally, friends and family gather around the table and toss the salad while chanting Lo Hei to encourage the start of a prosperous New Year. It is believed that the higher you toss, the more the fortune you are bound to receive.