Lucky foods for New Year

Looking for some lucky foods to cook or buy for your media noche to bring luck and make the coming year a prosperous one? Epicurious.com shares these 6 major categories of auspicious foods considering the differences and similarities in traditions:

GRAPES – consume twelve grapes at midnight for 12 prosperous months. In the Philippines, we do prepare 12 rounded-shaped fruits to bring luck.

COOKED GREENS – including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year’s in different countries because their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune. Maybe I can prepare “chopsuey” or “vegetable salad” to have that lucky green touch in the table.

LEGUMES – these includes beans, peas, and lentils that also symbolic of money. I think the chicharo in my “chopsuey” will be good.

PORK – pigs symbolize progress. My “crispy pata” will be perfect for this.

FISH – symbolizes good luck, fertility, long life and good harvest. My mom will by “sugpo” (big shrimp) and I will make a buttered-garlic shrimp out of it.

CAKES, etc. – special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items. Conti’s will help me here. Family loves mango so we will be buying a big “Mango Bravo Cake” and a “Mango Tart.”

WHAT NOT TO EAT
Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.