A Chinese Offering Set

A Chinese offering set refers to a set of ritual offerings prepared for important Chinese festivals such as Chinese New Year and the Hungry Ghost Festival. It typically includes savory dishes (e.g., sa-sae—three meats: duck, chicken, and pork; or ngow-sae—five meats by adding items such as liver, fish, or shrimp), sweets (e.g., khanom thian, khanom kheng, steamed cupcakes), auspicious fruits (e.g., oranges, grapes, apples), drinks (tea, liquor), and joss paper (gold and silver paper, such as kim tao and kho si) to show respect to deities, ancestors, and wandering spirits. These offerings are important as an expression of gratitude and as a way to pray for good fortune, prosperity, and longevity, according to the symbolic meaning of each item.

Main components of a Chinese offering set:
Savory offerings (meat dishes)
Sa-sae (three meats): duck, chicken, and pork.
Ngow-sae (five items): an expanded set from sa-sae, often adding liver, fish, or shrimp.

Sweets and auspicious desserts:
Khanom thian and khanom kheng: often marked with a red dot for auspiciousness.
Steamed cupcakes, chive cakes, and mee sua: mee sua symbolizes longevity.

Auspicious fruits: oranges, grapes, apples, pears, dragon fruit, bananas, etc.
Drinks: tea, liquor (white spirit), and plain water.
Gold and silver paper offerings: joss paper (gold and silver paper) such as kim tao, kho si, and uang sa jiu.