T
The Daily Insight

What fruits are used in Chinese New Year

Author

Rachel Hunter

Published Mar 18, 2026

Oranges, kumquats, tangerines and pomelos are common Chinese New Year gifts because they’re believed to bring good luck and happiness. The Chinese words for “orange” and “tangerine” closely resemble the words for “luck” and “wealth.” The gold color of these fruits also symbolizes prosperity.

What foods are traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year?

  • Fish — an Increase in Prosperity. Steam fish. …
  • Chinese Dumplings — Wealth. Dumplings. …
  • Spring Rolls — Wealth. Spring rolls. …
  • Glutinous Rice Cake — a Higher Income or Position. …
  • Sweet Rice Balls — Family Togetherness. …
  • Longevity Noodles — Happiness and Longevity.

Which fruit is a symbol of long life and good luck in China?

When this happened, the Eight Immortals (a legendary group of enlightened ancient beings) would gather and eat of the magic fruit, assuring their immortality. The peach is often depicted in Chinese paintings, sculpture, pottery, clothing and food. To honor such a lucky symbol, we created our Lucky Peach truffle.

What is China's Favourite fruit?

Fruit CropRootstockRemarksPersimmonD. kaki L.The same species

How many oranges do you give for Chinese New Year?

Tip: Always offer two mandarin oranges with both hands. This is the most basic form of respect in Chinese culture. Your recipient may politely refuse at first, but don’t give up — keep trying and they’ll eventually give in and exchange a pair with you!

What fruit is Chinese gooseberry?

Being of Chinese origin, kiwifruit originally had a Chinese name, yang tao. But when the fruit was first grown in New Zealand, their sweet/sharp flavour and green colour quickly earned them the nickname ‘Chinese Gooseberries.

What should you not eat on Chinese New Year?

To ensure an auspicious New Year, there are specific dishes that most families tend to avoid. Man says they never order squash. “Because squash, or gwa, sounds like death,” he says. Squid and crab are also foods to stay away from.

What fruits are common in China?

Watermelons, apples, grapes, pears, mandarins, bananas, strawberries, pineapples, lychees, longan, cherries, mangos, papayas, grapefruits, and peaches are all popular fruits in China. Some of the fruits are even more popular than others for they can be used as cooking ingredients of Chinese cuisine.

What is Apple called in China?

Malus prunifolia, a species in the apple genus (Malus) native to China, used as in breeding and sometimes cultivated for its fruit. Punica granatum (pomegranate) sometimes called Chinese apple in British English. Syzygium luehmannii (riberry) sometimes called Chinese apple in Australian English.

What is the luckiest fruit?

Oranges, kumquats, tangerines and pomelos are common Chinese New Year gifts because they’re believed to bring good luck and happiness. The Chinese words for “orange” and “tangerine” closely resemble the words for “luck” and “wealth.” The gold color of these fruits also symbolizes prosperity.

Article first time published on

What does peach Blossom mean in Chinese?

Peach blossom – luck. peach fruit – long life, association of immortality, divine fruit of gods. The peach of immortality in Chinese mythology (蟠桃; pántáo) can make people perpetually young.

What does a peach mean in Chinese culture?

In China, the peach is considered a blessed fruit, a symbol of longevity and immortality. According to Chinese mythology, the goddess of the palace near Xi-wang-mu, the wife of the Jade Emperor and the patron saint of Taoist sages, called The Immortals, was growing a peach tree.

What kind of oranges are used in Chinese New Year?

As Hong Kong strides into a new lunar year, the city fills up with mandarin oranges. Smaller and less round than other varieties of oranges, Citrus reticulata are considered particularly auspicious for Chinese New Year.

What do oranges mean for Chinese New Year?

The words for tangerine and orange in Chinese resemble the words for luck and success, respectively. Their bright color also symbolizes gold, hence the fruits have a meaning of bringing good luck and wealth.

Why do Chinese restaurants give oranges?

What is served at the end of a Chinese meal in a Chinese restaurant? – Quora. Chinese restaurants that aren’t big on desserts (i.e., the majority) will often serve slices of orange at the end of the meal, as a palate-cleanser after clearing away the plates. At this point, it’s usually appropriate to ask for the bill.

Is kiwi Indian fruit?

The Kiwi fruit is native to China, also known as Chinese gooseberry. … In India, Kiwi is mostly grown in Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.

What type of fruit is kiwi?

KiwifruitSimplified Chinese猕猴桃Literal meaning”macaque peach“showTranscriptions

Is kiwi a Chinese word?

As the name suggests, kiwifruit has its roots in China. Its original name in Chinese, mihoutao — or “macaque fruit” — was a reference to monkeys loving the sweet fruit. … This is an apparent transliteration of the word kiwifruit — qi yi guo in Mandarin, or kei yi gwo in Cantonese.)

Is pomegranate a Chinese apple?

THE pomegranate, one of the world’s most ancient fruits, has had a long and fascinating history. Although it probably originated in Persia, cultivation spread quickly throughout the Mediterranean and extended to Arabia, Afghanistan, India and China, where it was called the “Chinese apple,” the alternate appellation.

What is bear fruit called in English?

If the effort that you put into something or a particular way of doing something bears fruit, it is successful and produces good results. Eleanor’s work among the women will, I trust, bear fruit. He was naturally disappointed when the talks failed to bear fruit.

What is the oldest fruit?

THE date-palm fruit, called simply ‘date’ is also known as ‘heavenly fruit” because of its mention in religious scriptures. Even otherwise, the fruit in known since ancient days.

What is the Chinese fruit?

Lychee. You’ve probably seen lychee-flavored snacks, desserts, and jellies. Native to southern China, the curious fruit is spikey, red, and a bit larger than a cherry. They’re typically peeled to reveal translucent-white flesh and eaten fresh.

Does dragon fruit come from China?

Ironically, though, the dragon fruit has no real Chinese connections other than its English language name. An Asian favorite, the fruit is native to Mexico and to South and Central America, and is widely grown in sub-tropical regions of Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean and Australia.

What fruit does China export?

Fresh apples The main export destinations were the Philippines (75,000 tons, +117% YOY), Bangladesh (63,000 tons, +58% YOY), Thailand (47,000 tons, +85% YOY), Vietnam (46,000 tons, +61% YOY) and Indonesia (36,000 tons, −19% YOY). These five countries together accounted for 67% of the total export volume.

What fruit symbolizes death?

Pomegranates are said to symbolize death, longevity, paradise, and temptation. In Ancient Egypt, pomegranates were buried with the dead to aid in their passage to the afterlife. In Christianity, the fruits represent Christ’s suffering and resurrection.

What fruit symbolizes success?

Therefore, grapes represent wealth and success. Other than this, grapes are also used to cure fertility and ward off bad luck. Pineapples: Sound of the Chinese word for pineapple sound similar to “good luck coming your way”.

Is pineapple good luck for New Year?

Pineapples stand for wealth and good luck. Some Chinese people also use pineapples for cooking. When it’s Chinese Lunar New Year, it’s a good idea to buy two pineapples and place at home, especially in areas around Fujian Province.

What does tree mean in China?

Therefore, it symbolize hope and courage because it bravely stands against the danger of winter. Pine, Bamboo, and Plum are known as the “Three friends in Winter” because they do not wither during the cold weather.

What do cherries symbolize in China?

What do cherry blossoms symbolize in Chinese culture? In Chinese culture the cherry blossoms symbolizes the dominance of females and the beauty that she holds. Cherry blossom or Sakura meaning connected with power, command, impact, authority, influence and privilege.

What does Apple mean in Chinese culture?

In Chinese culture, the word for apple, “ping guo”, is a homophone for the word “ping”, meaning peace or tranquility, so an apple symbolizes a wish for peace. Apples also feature prominently in Greek myths.

What fruit did Wukong eat?

Sun Wukong makes himself very small to hide within a peach during the banquet, before consuming more, thus gaining immortality and the abilities that come with the peaches. Later on, Sun Wukong has a second chance to eat a fruit of immortality.