An old Chinese saying goes: "People regard food as their prime want." The greeting words of Chinese people are so distinctive and well-known around the world: “have you eaten?” People often greet their friends or acquaintances in this way in China. Though this custom has changed among young people and is most prevalent in rural areas, it shows how Chinese people attached great importance to their food.
In China delicious food is often linked with festivals and celebrations and has a great deal of symbolism. For instance, Jiao zi (dumpling with meat and vegetable stuffing) eaten during the Spring Festival is said to bring wealth to people, because the shape of Jiaozi resembles the ancient Chinese currency which is called “jin yuan bao” in Chinese.
Nian gao, a kind of rice cake eaten during the Spring Festival connotes a better life, for the Chinese pronunciation” nian gao “is the same with another phrase which means getting higher and higher in Chinese.(everything is getting better every year.)
Moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival have become an indispensable part of the life of Chinese people. The moon cake is like a full moon. In Chinese, a full moon stands for reunion. So the Mid-Autumn Festival is usually for a family reunion in China.
“Tang Yuan”, otherwise known as rice dumpling also symbolizes family reunion, for the Chinese “Yuan” means reunion. Tang Yuan are usually eaten during the Spring Festival when family members gather for a reunion.
Fish is another auspicious totem for Chinese people. In Chinese, the pronunciation of fish “Yu” is the same as another word which means more than enough. That is why a fish is an indispensable dish for the Spring Festival. People hope that they always have more than enough every year.
China is a vast land with a large number of minorities. The culture connected with food varies from region to region, and from minority to minority as well. You are sure to find more symbolism on the Chinese dinner tables the longer you spend travelling in China.