Town’s Delight Chinese Wedding Banquet
November 4th, 2010 Posted in Chinese BanquetChinese delicacies has special symbolism: mostly wishes of happiness, longevity, or fertility. The number of courses is also significant. At a Chinese wedding banquet, eight dishes are usually served which include fish, roast suckling pig, pigeon, chicken cooked with red oil, lobster and desert bun with lotus seeds stuffed inside – not including the dessert. In Chinese, the word “eight” means “good luck.” (The words for “nine” and “long” are also homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings. At a birthday banquet, nine dishes are served with noodles at the end.)
Tea, alcohol, and 7-Up are always served at a Chinese wedding banquet. Tea is a sign of respect while Alcohol is served to celebrate the special occasion. (In Chinese,“ going to a dinner banquet” is synonymous to “going to drink alcohol;” and in Cantonese, “to go drinking” literally means “go to a bar.”) And 7-Up sounds like “seven happiness,”, since the words for “up” and “happiness” are homophones.)
Shark’s Fin Soup. Soup usually follows the appetizers. The type of soup has some significance, for example, shark’s fin soup indicates wealth because this delicacy is very expensive.
Roast Suckling Pig. Roast suckling pig is usually served whole, a symbol of the bride’s purity (virginity).
Peking Duck and Lobster. Lobster is literally called “dragon shrimp” in Chinese. Having lobster and chicken together at wedding banquet indicates that the dragon and the phoenix are hormones together, and the Yin and Yang elements in this family is balanced. Red is the color for happiness, so serving Peking duck and lobster would signify joy and celebration. Also, serving the dish whole, i.e. with the head and legs, would symbolize completeness. Chicken also means phoenix, cooked in red oil to symbolize the wish for a prosperous life ahead for the newlyweds.
Squab (or Other Fowl). Pigeon implies peaceful future and its tender meat that symbolizes peace. Usually two pigeons are offered to wish the newlyweds peace as they start their new life together. Squab (pigeon) is similar to quail, so they both probably symbolize peace. Quail is offered whole to each guest so each and every one will also experience a peaceful life. Serving fried chicken would wish the couple to have a good life because in Chinese “red chicken” sounds like “good life.”
Vegetables with Sea Cucumber. Serving sea cucumber with vegetables is a sign of selflessness because “sea cucumber” sounds like “”good heart” and this dish wishes the couple to think in a similar way – to avoid conflict.
Fish. The pronunciation of fish is the same as “abundance”, meaning the newlyweds will have plentiful of wealth. Serving fish would hope that the couple will experience a life together with abundance because “fish”” sounds like “plentiful” in Chinese.
Sweet Red Bean Soup and Sweet Buns. Serving dessert probably wishes the newlyweds a sweet life. The hot sweet red bean soup should contain lotus seeds (lian zi) and a bark-like vegetable (bak hop) to wish the newlyweds a hundred years of togetherness. The sweet lotus paste in sweetened steamed bread symbolizes fertility; it is shaped and colored to resemble peaches (ta zi), since the peach represents long life. The sticky dumpling you describe, covered with crushed peanuts with black sesame paste in the center, is called mochi. (You might consider mochi with lotus paste or red bean paste for their symbolic value rather than black sesame paste.)
Noodles served at the end would symbolize longevity because noodles come in long strands.
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