The red color of the seeds symbolizes good luck, and the seeds mean fertility. I hulled some seeds since I’m a little superstitious. However, I stopped after a few. I know that technically, the seeds are real food. But they’re not my definition of real food.

Chinese New Year falls on January 26, 2009, and it’s the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac. As the date approaches, I enjoy visiting Asian stores to see the various decorations, gifts, and food for sale to celebrate the holiday. Although I’m not an ox, that didn’t stop me from buying this item at a Japanese supermarket. It may be the start of a collection; one animal down, eleven to go. Uh, maybe I’d better rethink that collection.