The food I’d like to mention here is jiaozi, a typical tasty during Chinese New Year, especially on the Eve.
Jiaozi are made of pieces of dough wrapping around a filling. We have different kinds of fillings, such as pork, beef, chicken and varieties of vegetables. As a matter of fact, we could put any stuffs we like into the dough as fillings, I think. The shape of Jiaozi varies in different regions. Some like Yuanbao, which stands for wealth; some like willow’s leaf, representing a kind of beauty; some like an triangle, a uncommon shape in most areas.
I guess that’s the exact reason why Chinese people like to eat Jiaozi on the Eve of Spring Festival. That is because different shapes convey different blessings. At that very night, all family members get together, making Chinese dumplings, talking with best wishes, laughing for happy togetherness.
Another interesting tradition in regard to Jiaozi is that we will mix a coin into the filling of only one dumpling. And the person who luckily get the right one, we believe that he or she will be healthy, happy, wealthy for the next whole year.
The history of making and eating Jiaozi on Spring Festival Eve is too long to be traced, but Chinese people continue doing so for centuries, I think, to express a sense of deep family affection which is cherished by every Chinese ethnic people.
詞彙與表達：
tasty （此處做名詞） 可口的東西
dough 麵糰
wrap 包起來；纏繞
stand for 代表；象徵
willow 柳樹
togetherness 相聚，家庭聚會
family affection 親情
cherish 珍惜；珍視
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