NOTE: This article first appeared in 2014. In 2017, Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Jan. 28. It will be the year of the Fire Rooster
While the western world might consider December and Christmas to be the season of pigging out, for those who celebrate Chinese New Year, that dubious honour falls to this time of year.
The Chinese New Year starts on January 31, 2014, and many families have already started to gear up to travel back home for the holiday. Packed in their bags, along with plenty of red clothing, will be sticky, sweet snacks that are guaranteed to tempt every sweet tooth.
Kuala Lumpur-based radio DJ and fitness fan Linora Low put together an infographic of the top sweets for Chinese New Year, with helpful, guilt-inducing calorie counts alongside them.
Of all the ones listed on her chart, nian gao, or Niángāo, is probably the most commonly eaten for Chinese New Year, as it's traditionally an offering to the Chinese kitchen god, explains ChineseFood.com. Traditionally, Chinese desserts are made from ingredients like mung bean, glutinous rice and agar.
For those who haven't tried out these sweets, the upcoming Lunar Festival seems like the perfect opportunity — visit your local Chinatown or Asian specialty shop to find out if you can get your hands on these treats.
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