Hungry for Tradition on New Year's Day

Cousin Bonnie’s cioppino, made from a family recipe, smells (and tastes) like New Year’s Day

Food traditions abound on New Year's Day. In our family, we usually go to a local Chinese restaurant, gorge ourselves on fried rice, noodles, and hot tea, and then walk it all off with a stroll on the beach. Growing up, my cousin Bonnie would host a cioppino feed on New Year's Day with a traditional tomato broth-based Italian stew studded with fresh, local seafood—a San Francisco tradition. This year, nobody was in the mood for Chinese food and it's been several years since Bonnie had her cioppino feed. What to do? Comfort food was definitely in order. We ended up feasting on a pot of Cajun-style red beans and rice and a hearty rice pudding. What are other people eating on New Year's Day? Often, the foods served on the first day of the new year signify abundance, wealth, and prosperity. Here's a round-up of global traditions to whet our appetites and imaginations as we welcome 2020:

Lentils (Italy)

Italians infuse their New Year's Day dishes with coin-shaped lentils to evoke wealth and prosperity. For recipes, check out this compilation of Italian New Year’s dishes from Spruce Eats.

Soba Noodles (Japan)

Buckwheat noodles (toshikoshi soba) floating in a rich broth, topped with meat or veggies, are a New Year’s Day staple in Japan. The long noodles symbolize crossing from one year to the next. Because the noodles are easily cut, they also represent letting go of regrets. This prawn-topped version from Chopsticks Chronicles comes together in minutes for a quick traditional treat.

Pomegranate (Turkey)

Pomegranates and pomegranate-inspired dishes are New Year's Day favorites in Turkey where this jeweled fruit is a symbol of luck. This lentil salad with beets and pomegranate from Saveur packs a host of winter veggies into a pretty package fit for a holiday table.

Tamales (Mexico)

Making these masa-stuffed treats stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, or fruit, wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, and steamed to perfection, is a traditional labor of love in Mexico, where families gather to share a feast of tamales. Try this traditional recipe from My Latina Table (using pork lard) or this vegetarian version from Food.com.

Hoppin' John (American South)

Pork-flavored black-eyed peas and rice, served with steamed greens and homemade corn bread, rings in the New Year in the American south. The peas represent coins and the greens evoke “green backs.” This meat-free version from Vegetarian Times puts an Earth-friendly spin on this southern favorite.

Have you tried to make any of these traditional dishes on New Year's Day? Do you have a customary dish of your own? Leave a comment. We'd love to hear about it.

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