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Everybody eats, but people eat many different things, and have different ways of preparing their food. There is infinite variability in the way people eat. The basic ingredients, the way food is preserved, the way it is cut and prepared, the amount that is served at a meal and the way the meal is served, and the tastes people enjoy vary depending on a person's background. Different utensils are used by different people. Cultural practices for food consumption and preparation are incredibly varied.

Chinese food varies by region. In northern China, Mongolian influences are evident especially in the use of the fire pot. Rice is not grown in the north, so noodles, soybeans and breads are used more often. In the mountainous regions to the west, spicy foods are more prevalent. These forms are Szechuan and Hunan. In the south, Cantonese styles prevail. Fresh fruit and seafood are popular. Steamed rice is an important part of Chinese food.

The Chinese believe that food can affect one's health. Eating the proper food can help prevent disease as well as heal. In Cantonese cooking, it is important that yin and yang foods and cooking methods are used in balance. By taking into consideration factors such as the individual's age, digestive system, absorbing power, and metabolism, optimal health is achieved. Foods also symbolize different things. For example, clams represent wealth and prosperity.

Even today, when I vist my parents at Chinese New Year's I awake on new Year's morning to find two tangerines, two oranges, and a pair of lucky money envelopes, lysee, by my pillow---all auspicious symbols of good luck. As a child, I could anticipate finding these as dependably as I could a gift from the tooth fairy when I lost a tooth. Lysee are beautiful small red envelopes with money tucked inside, given to children and family members by elders. The amount of money varies, depending on the generosity of the giver, but most Chinese place a dollare in each envelope. The envelopes are ancient expressions of of long life, gratitude, peace, and blessings. The color red is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Lysee are also traditionally given on birthdays and weddings.

The New Year's Eve meal is called tuan neen, or the uniting of family for thanksgiving. It is the most important meal of the two-week New Year's celebration and by custom the immediate family gathers for dinner at home. Every family's meal is slightly different but shares the tradition of being designed around meaning-ladened foods. Traditionally, eight or nine courses are served because both are lucky numbers; eight sounds like the word for prosperity in Cantonese, and nine means long lasting.