Happy 4707, THe Year of the Ox
Large groups of family and friends gather to imbibe and eat sumptuous meals of dishes from the land sea and air. These specialties are considered auspicious because they represent wealth, luck, happiness and long life – everything we all hope for in a new year.
The Chinese New Year is represented by 12 auspicious animals including the mythological powerful dragon. Unlike the traditional January 1st New Year of the Western world, the date of the Chinese New Year changes every year and depends on the Chinese Lunar calendar. This year, the first day of the Year of the Ox falls on January 26th.
The New Year’s Eve meal is the most important meal of the two-week-long Chinese New Year’s celebration, when families gather for thanksgiving. Each family’s meal is slightly different, but most incorporate foods that have special meanings. For example, any New Year’s celebratory dinner throughout the holiday season usually consists of eight or nine dishes, since both numbers are considered lucky. In Cantonese, the word for the number eight sounds similar to the word for prosperity, while the number nine sounds similar to a word that represents “long lasting.”
SALT BAKED CHICKEN WITH GINGER SAUCE
Traditionally this recipe was composed of a whole chicken that was marinated, wrapped in lotus leaves, then immersed into a bed of hot rock salt in a wok and cooked on a stovetop. With the modern convenience of an oven, this has changed and it is now much easier to control the cooking temperature. The traditional recipe uses a Chinese spirit called Mei Kuei Lu Chiew, which has similar properties to that of Italian grappa or French Marc. I’ve substituted gin as it does create both fragrance and aroma to the chicken. There are many different chicken dishes that are served for Chinese New Year but the most important factor is that the whole bird is served, with feet and head when practical, as serving it whole symbolizes a good start and finish and avoiding bad luck throughout the year. The golden colour of the roasted bird also represents wealth.
HOT AND SOUR SOUP
This classic soup should have a good balance of heat, sharpness and sweetness. Made correctly, it is a perfect example of a soup that showcases the principles of ying and yang, a marriage of opposite flavours and textures. BUDDHA’S DELIGHT (LO HON JAI) This classic Buddhist vegetarian dish called “Jai”, is served at New Year’s festivities and represents purity and purification. According to Buddhist traditions, no fish or poultry can be killed for food on the first day of the New Year. Jai’s ingredients will vary from region to region but traditionally included eighteen ingredients. Over the years, the dish has been simplified. All the ingredients for this dish, from dried mushrooms and ginkgo nuts to the cellophane noodles and dried bean curd sticks all have symbolic meanings – from fertility to wealth for the coming year. The black moss, also known as seaweed hair, which looks like fine black hair, is an important ingredient for this dish as the translation in Cantonese, fat choy, is the same meaning (prosperity) as the New Year’s greeting, Gung Hay Fat Choy.
LONG LIFE NOODLES (E FU MEIN)
Noodles – whether thin chow mein noodles, broad rice noodles or the thicker Shanghai wheat noodles – are a must at Chinese celebrations from birthdays to weddings and also at New Year’s. In the traditional world of Chinese food symbolism, noodles are at the top. Since they are long, you will have a long unbroken life! Cutting them into shorter strands will be like cutting your life short! This dish is typically made with efu noodles. Efu are extruded wheat noodles that are found dried in large round wheels in Chinese supermarkets. They are immersed in salted boiling water to soften before stir-frying.
DOUBLE MANGO PUDDING
The sweet perfume and smooth texture of mangos make this silky dessert a favorite. Mangos vary in texture and flavour but I prefer using the Alphonso variety known for sweetness and flavour. The rich brilliant orange color of mangos symbolizes gold and wealth so no wonder this is a popular dessert.
