15 Long Noodles for a Long Life

In order to make sure 2016 is your best year yet, some will tell you to eat black-eyed peas or cornbread—but in China and Japan, the answer is long noodles.

Long noodles signify long life, as Naoko Moore, author of Donabe, explained:

On New Year's Eve, people eat soba noodles throughout the country of Japan. It's called Toshikoshi Soba (year-crossing soba). Thin, long-stretched soba symbolizes longevity, so we eat soba to pray for our healthy, long lives in the next year. Typically, toshikoshi soba is a simple bowl of noodles in a dashi broth, but in my home, we like to do Kamo Nabe (duck hot pot—the recipe is in Donabe). You cook duck and tofu in a broth in a donabe (a Japanese clay pot) to share at the table.

So bring good luck to this year with a healthy heap of noodles (as if that wouldn't be the plan anyways):

Longevity, in stir fry form:

Smoked Tea Duck Noodles by aargersi

Vegan Pad Thai by Gena Hamshaw

Jaengban Guksu (Korean-Style Soba Noodles with Spicy Dressing) by Rach Kim

Spicy Thai Basil Noodle Cake by Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)

Patricia Yeo's Sesame Noodles by Genius Recipes

Zhajiang Noodles with Eggplant by Madame Huang

Spicy, Peanutty Udon with Kale by Laura

And in soup form:

Chicken Tofu Laksa by Snafu06

Persian New Year's Noodle Soup by Gena Hamshaw

Spicy Sesame Pork Soup with Noodles by gingerroot

Khao Suey (Burmese Style Curried Noodle Soup) by Rinku Bhattacharya /Spice Chronicles

Massaman-Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup by hardlikearmour

Sichuan Dan-Dan Noodles by Mandy @ Lady and pups

Bacon & Egg Ramen by Aliwaks

Burmese Noodle Bowl by nykavi

What do you eat for luck in the new year? Tell us in the comments.