TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan households are preparing traditional snacks symbolizing prosperity and happiness as the Lunar New Year approaches on Tuesday (Feb. 17). These treats, deeply rooted in Chinese cultural customs, serve as symbols of good fortune for the year ahead and remain essential to Taiwan's new year celebrations. The traditional snacks carry auspicious meanings that families believe invite prosperity, longevity, and joy into their homes during the festive season.
Candies and snacks like "Sheng reng" (生仁), a type of peanut candy, and Nougat (牛軋糖) hold special significance as quintessential parts of the Lunar New Year festivities. Sheng reng, a red-and-white sugar-coated peanut snack, plays on the Mandarin homophone for "birth," symbolizing a thriving family in traditional Chinese culture. Nougat, made with peanuts or almonds, represents familial resilience and unity, making it a popular gift and household staple during the holiday season.
Traditional rice-based snacks like "Ma lao" (麻粩), known as Sesame Rice Crispy, and "Mi lao" (米粩), or Rice Puffs, carry their own auspicious meanings in Taiwan's Lunar New Year traditions. Crafted from glutinous rice flour and taro, these snacks are deep-fried and coated with maltose and sesame seeds, embodying the belief that consuming them promotes longevity. Sesame Seed Candy remains a classic choice for gifts and home displays, pairing well with hot tea during family gatherings throughout the holiday.
Other staples include peanuts, which symbolize longevity, and pineapple cake, a sweet, tangy pastry that remains one of Taiwan's most popular traditional treats. "Cun zao" (寸棗), or Crispy Rice Sticks, made from glutinous rice flour and sugar-coated, represent the phrase 'year after year, everything will be good' in traditional beliefs. Golden coin-shaped chocolate remains particularly popular for its symbolism of wealth and success, often displayed in shops and businesses to represent a prosperous year ahead.