Festive Foods From China Trivia Quiz

Answer: Han

According to legend, longevity noodles trace their origins back to the Han Dynasty during Emperor Wu's reign circa 141 BC. There are various versions of the story but most revolve around the length of one's philtrum from the nose to the upper lip determined one's lifespan. Hence the longer the distance the longer the life. Much of this has to do with the vocal similarities in the Chinese word for face and noodle. At the time the joke was told that the legendary Peng Zu who had lived 800 years must have had a really long face.

Also according to legend, you are not supposed to bite or cut the noodles or else you will shorten your life. Traditionally, longevity noodles are supposed to be prepared by the young for their elders to eat.

This question was slurped whole into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: Bacteria

Black moss is a type of photosynthetic bacteria and is only found in the Gobi Desert and the Qinghai Plateau. For many years the Chinese have been using the product in their cuisine as a vegetable, however, over the years there have been problems with over-harvesting and this has created erosion issues for the area. As a consequence, the Chinese government has restricted the harvesting of the product which has seen it rise dramatically in price.

In its natural state it is dark green in colour but, when dehydrated, it looks like black hair and it almost feels like vermicelli. It is affectionately known as "fat choy", which sounds very similar to the Cantonese phrase faat coi, meaning "struck it rich". This forms part of the New Year greeting "gung hei faat coi", which translate as "wishing you good fortune (or prosperity)". As a result black moss/fat choy has become a popular ingredient during the Chinese New Year festivities, in particular the reunion dinner, which brings the whole family together on New Year's Eve.

Thank goodness for bacteria otherwise pollucci19, who wrote this question for Phoenix Rising, would have no culture at all.

Answer: Winter Solstice

The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It should not be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is sometimes also called the Lantern Festival in Southeast Asian countries. Tangyuan, with their spherical shape, symbolise reunion or completeness. They are usually served in a watery syrup. The dumplings themselves may be plain or stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings such as red bean paste, black sesame paste or minced meat.

The Winter Solstice is also a festival during which the family get together, thus, tangyuan have great significance on this festival as well. The tangyuan eaten during the Winter Solstice are traditionally pink and white in colour. They too may be plain or have sweet or savoury fillings. In modern times, more variations and assorted colours of tangyuan have appeared, such as the orange-coloured, pumpkin-flavoured tangyuan.

This question was rolled up by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Mooncakes

The Mid-Autumn Festival is linked to Lady Chang'e, formerly known as Heng'e, the Chinese goddess of the moon and the goddess of immortality. Ancient custom dictated that Emperors should offer a sacrifice to the moon in autumn. With the 15th day of the 8th lunar month falling in mid-autumn, this then led to the day/evening being called the "Night of the Moon". Mooncakes became an integral part of the giving at this celebration, and it is not uncommon to hear this festival referred to as the Mooncake Festival.

The mooncake has an outer skin made of pastry. The interior filling is a sweet dense filling made from red bean paste or lotus seed paste. It would not be a surprise to find that, in the very centre of the cake, is a salted egg yolk, meant to symbolize the full moon. The top of the mooncake is likely to have an imprint on it consisting of the Chinese characters for either longevity or harmony.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who, after watching the moon rotate around the Earth for 24 hours, decided to call it a day.

Answer: Red

Eggs symbolise fertility and birth. It is customary to gift red chicken eggs to family and friends when there is a new baby in the family. The celebrations can be held at one month, one hundred days or one year after the baby's birth, depending on the family's traditions. The eggs are hard-boiled and dyed red with food colouring while still in their shells. Besides celebrating the new addition to the family, red eggs are also traditionally served on birthdays.

This question was hatched by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Double Ninth Festival

The word "double ninth" is pronounced the same as the word meaning "forever," or "lasting" and this festival is all about gathering to wish their elders a long and healthy life. The celebration takes place in autumn and often involves mountain climbing and enjoying the outdoors, with some Chinese also visiting the graves of their ancestors.

The cake is mostly rice flour mixed with water until a consistency similar to shortbread. It is layered with date paste or red bean paste, placed in cheesecloth and decorated. It's then steamed and is eaten as the highlight at the end of the festive meal.

The question was added as the last course to the quiz by Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid.

Answer: Buddha

The Laba Festival originally celebrated the new harvest and it did not have a fixed date. With the spread of Buddhism to China, the Laba Festival was fixed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which was the day Buddha attained enlightenment. Thus, many of the customs associated with this festival are influenced by Buddhism. The congee is made from a variety of grains, nuts, beans, and fruits. Regional variations exist. The name "laba" is derived from the twelfth lunar month ("la") and the number eight ("ba"). Laba congee is also called Eight Treasure Congee.

This question was boiled by Phoenix Rising's congee-nial team member purelyqing.

Answer: Bamboo

In the western world we would tend to call these delights sticky rice dumplings. In some areas of the United States, they are known as Chinese tamales. The shapes for the zongzi can vary. Shapes range from being pyramidal to that of an elongated cone. Whilst the traditional leaf to wrap it in is the bamboo, in particular of the species Indocalamus tessellatus, alternatives such as lotus, maize and shell ginger, among others, can be used. Each will impart a different flavour on the dish. The fillings will also vary and generally this will depend on the region in which it is prepared. The one thing that won't vary is the rice. It must be glutinous.

These dumplings are a traditional food during the Duanwu Festival which, in English,is better known as the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, approximately late May to mid-June.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who once poured beer on his Rice Bubbles and they went "Snap, Crackle, Burp".

Answer: It is roasted.

In Cantonese wedding traditions, a roast pig forms part of the bridal gifts. It symbolises the bride's purity. If the groom is satisfied with the bride, he sends a roast pig home with the bride when she visits her family on the third day after the wedding. If the groom is dissatisfied, the ears and tail of the pig would be removed.

This question was turned on a spit by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing. No pigs were harmed.

Answer: Peach

The "Three Abundances" in Chinese culture are longevity, fortune, and descendants. The citron melon represents fortune or happiness. The guava or pomegranate represent descendants or fertility because of their many seeds. The peach represents longevity or a long life. Legend holds that the Queen Mother of the West owned a type of flat peach that could make people ageless. Another legend depicts the Old Man of the South Pole in the Chinese folk religion fulu shou holding a peach to represent long life.

Peaches originated in China where they have been cultivated for nearly 4000 years. Records of Chinese cultivation efforts date back 2500 years to 500 BC where an encyclopedia mentions what peaches need to thrive. By the middle of the sixth century AD Chinese farmers had developed seed stratification, frost protection, and burning torches to reduce insect damage. Currently, China has three depositories to ensure the genetic diversity of their peaches with over 1000 specimens.

Phoenix Rising member tazman6619 found doing this question to be just peachy.