It also means that the exact date of the holiday changes from year to year. Nevertheless, the foods eaten to celebrate the holiday remain largely the same.
During this period I ate a number of different foods. During the Lunar New Year celebrations, it's common to see visiting flower markets. These markets, like Christmas markets, sell a number of treats. I tried some of my friend's candied fruits and had traditional Chinese tea pastries. These pastries were steamed and have a gummy texture.
Of course, being such a big family-focused holiday, I also had dinner with various family members. When visiting someone's home people often bring a small gift with them. Chinese pastries are quite common, including Hong Kong-style flakey egg rolls and other biscuit-like snacks including Wife Cake, a flakey pastry filled with lotus paste.
As a Chinese American, I did feel that the food I tried was not as shocking as I imagined it would be. My parents would often try to cook similar dishes back at home, and coming from New York, I am lucky to be able to try out more authentic Cantonese and Chinese dishes.
However, I was surprised by the variety of foods I saw. There were definitely dishes that were foreign to me. For instance, when I had dinner with my aunt, we had a plate of abalone, a mollusk-like seafood. To be honest, its texture was something I was unfamiliar with, but I was still glad to try out new things while abroad.
