Spain, Japan, USA ... Lucky New Year Food by Country!
Twelve grapes for the twelve strokes of midnight: this is the tradition in Spain and Portugal. The challenge is of course to finish his grapes before the last shot rings! A tradition initiated in the early 20th century in the Alicante region by grape growers. Each grain represents a different month. If the fourth grape seems bitter, take care in April!
If you spend the New Year in Athens, however, you will probably see people breaking a grenade outside the door of their home. In Greece, this gesture luck. The more seeds inside, the happier and more prosperous the year ahead will be for the owner! And for dessert, you'll take a little part of "vasilopita"? At midnight, families share this cake in which a coin has been hidden. For those who eat it, a year of happiness guaranteed.
In Bulgaria too, cakes contain surprises. The "banitsa" (see photo) is a Bulgarian pastry. Its traditional cheese and egg version is served at the first breakfast of the year. As a bean, dogwood buds, which symbolize the future, health and prosperity of the family for the coming year.
In addition to the Atlantic, vegetables are popular. In the southern United States, we eat for the new year "black eyed peas" (the vegetable, of course), symbols of prosperity. They are served with cabbage, which symbolizes money, and pork, which symbolizes moving forward in life.
In Japan, luck comes from "kake soba", buckwheat noodles prepared in soup. A dish supposed to symbolize that we paid all his debts of the year. But beware: do not eat noodles before you have sucked them all, because they symbolize longevity!
The Chinese rely on fish. No wonder: the Chinese word for "fish" looks just like the word "abundance". He uses himself whole, from head to tail, so that the whole year is placed under good auspices. A tradition that, in addition, is good for health. Ideal for the good dietary resolutions of the new year.
