There are many ways people insure getting lucky in the new year, and — this being a food blog — I’ve researched six healthful and tasty snacks to start 2016 off right. It’s out with the fruitcake and in with the black-eyed peas.
Pomegranates
Is your family ready to grow? Pomegranates have symbolic significance in dozens of cultures, appearing in art from the Middle Ages and in religious texts. Armenian and Persian traditions suggest they signify a future of fertility and love. Pomegranate seeds are a festive, punchy way to dress up that midnight glass of sparkling wine – and aren’t as difficult to remove from the fruit as you might think. See our easy seed removal demonstration here.
Grapes
We all know that grapes make up the traditional sparkling drink of yore, but eating 12 grapes at midnight is good luck, according to the Spanish. The grapes symbolize the12 months of the year; eat them fast while noting which months will be sweet and which will be sour. If you practice feng shui, you’ll remember that grapes are believed to bring your family prosperity. Does drinking wine count as eating grapes?
Whole Fish
The Chinese say that their silvery scales resemble coins, so serving a roasted whole fish is believed to bring abundance and prosperity. I just really love easy-to-serve tapas while entertaining, as well as superfood combos – so give your brain an omega-3 boost early on this year by layering some avocado and sardines on toast. (Prefer your fish in parts? Click here to watch our video on how to filet a whole fish.)
Greens
Dollar bills, y’all. In the true Southern spirit, blanch some collard greens to use as a lighter approach to tacos, versus the traditional tortilla. This is an easy hand-held snack that guests can roll up with whatever other lucky ingredients they choose. You could offer a spicy outlook to the year too, with a selection of salsa and sauces. The innuendo is endless.
Black Eyed Peas
Doubly, not only is eating black-eyed peas a Southern staple on New Year’s Day – usually served with pork, which symbolizes the pig’s ability to root around and move forward – it’s an Israeli tradition too. Black-eyed peas are said to represent prosperity since they grow in size when cooked. The good luck “magical fruit” might make you toot, but it’ll soak up some of that fermented grape juice too. Use cowboy caviar to stuff your collard green taco to represent the luckiest of New Year’s Day meals.
Soba Noodles
Size matters. The Japanese believe that the longer the noodles, the more abundance your year will have. Slurping them whole without breaking or chewing them is the name of the game, which could very well become a drinking game. (Is soba sorta not your thing? We’ve got a great recipe for spaghetti carbonara here.)