As you're about to take a bite from your mandarin orange, ketupat, or gulab jamun, think about why people often associate these foods with their respective festive seasons. These delicacies are symbolistic foods that convey specific messages, representing the values and beliefs of different cultures in Malaysia.

CHINESE CULTURE

Food served at reunion dinners during Chinese New Year and other celebrations throughout the year consists of meanings from word plays:

• Dumplings (饺子 _{jiǎo zi}): Dumplings are associated with wealth as people tend to wrap and shape the dumplings to resemble the look of a tael, which was a currency used during Imperial China. The dumplings are then put to boil, and the food preparation method symbolises 'wealth rolling in' (财源滚滚来 _{cái yuán gǔn gǔn lái}) since both boil and roll share the same character, 滚.

• Sunflower seeds (瓜子 _{guā zǐ}): The act of breaking the shell of sunflower seeds symbolises the ability to 'break free from poverty' (摆脱贫困 _{bǎi tuō pín kùn}).

• Dried beancurd (腐竹 _{fǔ zhú}): Dried beancurd or tofu skin symbolises wealth and abundance (富足 _{fù zú}) since both words are homonyms.

• Fishball (鱼圆 _{yú yuán}): Fishball symbolises 'family will always gather together' (团团圆圆 _{tuán tuán yuán yuán}) since the shape of the fishball, which is round, and the word reunion shares the same character, 圆.

• Longevity noodles (长寿面 _{cháng shòu miàn}): These noodles are usually eaten during birthdays since the long noodles mean 'good health and long life' (健康长寿 _{jiàn kāng cháng shòu}).

In Chinese culture, people value family the most. Therefore, many blessings to young couples or newlyweds are often associated with conceiving a child to carry on the family lineage:

• Red dates (红枣 _{hóng zǎo}): Red dates symbolise 'sweetness in a relationship' (甜甜蜜蜜 _{tián tián mì mì}) as they are naturally sweet.
• Lotus seeds (莲子 _{lián zǐ}): Lotus seeds symbolise the blessing of 'the birth of a baby soon' (早生贵子 _{zǎo shēng guì zǐ}) because the word lotus seeds contains the same character, 子 as the word child (孩子 _{hái zi}).

MALAY CULTURE

The foods, their colours, and also their preparation methods have hidden meanings during Hari Raya and other important celebrations:

• Ketupat: The weaving of ketupat symbolises human sins and faults, while the white glutinous rice wrapped inside represents the purity of heart in pleading for forgiveness.

• Pulut kuning: Yellow glutinous rice symbolises strong family bonds since pulut, or glutinous rice, has a sticky texture, meaning families will 'stick' together. The colour yellow also symbolises royalty during weddings.

• Bunga telur: Egg flowers are a common gift in Malay weddings, and they are a symbol of fertility.

INDIAN CULTURE

In Indian culture, the festival of lights — Deepavali is full of symbolism, a celebration which values good over evil. From the festival's decorations to food, pay attention to the details to uncover what they symbolise:

• Murukku: This deep-fried snack made from rice flour symbolises the cyclical nature of life and the constant cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, given its spiral or circular shape. With its crispy and crunchy texture, murukku also symbolises the breaking of negative energies and the welcoming of positive energy and prosperity.

• Mithai: A variety of sweets, or mithai, are prepared during Deepavali celebrations to symbolise sweet relationships between friends and family.