The year is drawing to a close, and that means New Year’s food can’t be far behind! Different countries have their own approaches to New Year food, and we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting New Year’s Eve food traditions from around the world. We’ve also brought together the most popular New Year’s Eve snacks for any end-of-year party.
New Year’s Eve Traditions
New Year’s parties have plenty of interesting traditions to enjoy. In Colombia, people carry empty suitcases around their block to ensure a year filled with travel. Over in Finland, people predict the future by tipping molten tin into a container of water. The shape the metal takes gives a clue to the year ahead; ships mean travel, for instance, while rings mean weddings are on the horizon.
Unsurprisingly, many New Year’s traditions also revolve around food. New Year’s Eve snacks come in a surprisingly wide selection when we take a global view.
New Year’s Lucky Food
Several cultures believe it is lucky to eat certain foods, either on New Year’s Day or just after midnight. In Estonia, for instance, the goal is eat as many meals as possible on New Year’s Eve. Seven, nine or twelve meals is the goal; if a person succeeds, it means they’ll see plenty of food in the upcoming year.
Since we’re culinary students of the globe, we’ve got a fantastic selection of New Year’s Eve snacks to inspire you.
1. Grapes
In Spain and Mexico, people traditionally eat 12 grapes before midnight. Eating grapes with each strike of the clock supposedly maximises your luck; it ensures you’ll have good luck for each month of the year ahead.
2. Cake
Over in Greece, the Vasilopita (or king-pie) is a New Year’s tradition. It’s sweet, bready and topped with almonds, with a coin or trinket baked into it. Whoever gets a piece with the trinket in is supposed to have good luck next year.
New Year’s celebrations are ideal for cake—lucky or otherwise—so why not add your favourite Regal cake to your own festivities?
3. Pomegranate
The Greeks also enjoy pomegranates during the New Year. Since antiquity, pomegranates have symbolised good luck, abundance, youth and fertility. Tradition dictates that you smash a pomegranate on your door on New Year’s Day, but you may just want to enjoy some pomegranate juice instead.
Check out our complete juice selection (including pomegranate!) to find something that whets your appetite this New Year.
4. Lentils
Lentils are a traditional New Year’s food in Italy, thanks to their resemblance to coins. They’re eaten at midnight to bring good luck; why not enjoy them yourself this year?
There’s plenty of festive recipes for lentil fans to enjoy, though we recommend this recipe for orange lentils with cilantro and tomatoes from Rinku Bhattacharya.
5. Fish
Scandinavian people often enjoy fish dishes in the New Year, since herring is seen as a harbinger of good fortune. Recipes that use hilsa fish are great choices for New Year party food, as they symbolise warm hospitality. Try making a tasty cabbage curry using Hilsa fish; they offer a fantastic combination of chilli and spice.
The Essential New Year’s Eve Snacks
No New Year’s party is complete without a variety of savoury snacks and New Year’s party food ideas. Wondering where to stock up on your favourite foods? Shop at Regal has a fantastic selection of snacks, all of which you can order online now!
Savoury Snack Mixes
You can’t have a selection of South Asian and Indian savoury snacks without the classics! While Bombay Mix and Hot Bombay Mix are the obvious choices, there are some other great options if you want to mix it up a little.
Our Regal Punjabi Mix mixes noodles, peanuts and potatoes, before seasoning them with chilli and salt. Our Regal Balti Mix is another excellent option, mixing noodles, peanuts, chick peas and channa dal to great effect. All of these snacks are sure to delight your guests.
Masala Chana Chaat
This is a traditional, refreshing salad made with chickpeas and potatoes. You can also add our chilli sauce to the recipe for a little added spice. Greedy Gourmet has a tasty recipe that you can follow.
Crisps
No New Year’s party is complete without a few crisps! Regal’s classic salt and vinegar crisps are sure to keep your guests snack-happy. Feeling a little more adventurous? Our chilli and lemon crisps are an easy way to mix things up a little.
Haleem
Although this is a typical breakfast food on New Year’s Day, it’s also an excellent evening food. An incredibly hearty dish, haleem mixes together barley, local wheat varieties and chickpeas. The recipe also includes onions (fried separately) as well as mint leaves, green and dried chillis, and masala spices. Add a little lemon juice as a garnish at the end.
The best way to prepare haleem is to slow-cook it over an entire day on a very low heat. This helps to give the haleem its warm, home-cooked flavour.
Classic Regal Cakes
Since we know cake is a great New Year’s choice, why not take a closer look at our selection of Regal cakes? Our bag of fairy cakes is the perfect way to keep your guests happy, while our marble fairy cakes allow you to mix things up a little.
If you’ve got a mix of different guests to entertain, consider our triple Madeira cake pack! With plain, cherry and chocolate chip variants, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
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If you’re interested in mixing up your New Year’s meal a little, there’s plenty of exciting traditions for you to draw upon! Of course, if you want to keep things a little simpler, we at Regal are here to help.
Now is an excellent time to stock up on New Year party food from Shop at Regal. Not only do we have an excellent selection of New Year’s Eve snacks for you to enjoy, but our next day delivery option (for just £5.95) ensures you’ll get your order in plenty of time. It’s never been easier to order snacks online.
Whatever you decide to eat, we at Regal would like to wish you a very Happy New Year, and every success in the months ahead!
