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Eat for prosperity this Chinese New Year

Eat for prosperity this Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on February 19th and runs through to the Lantern Festival on March 5th.

If you’re hoping to plan your own Chinese New Year party, here are some “lucky” tips from the experts to ensure a prosperous year to come.

Do your research.

Shirley Lum, a culinary historian who gives lunar Chinese New Year food tours in Toronto, recommends that newbies join a meal hosted by someone like herself to learn about the food, traditions and symbolism important to a Chinese New Year banquet. Once you’re acquainted with these traditions, consider hosting a potluck dinner with friends.

“If this is not possible, then keep it simple. Make it a potluck and aim for 8 dishes: chicken, fish, pork, shrimp, green vegetable, noodle, rice & a dessert with coconut/sugar/peanuts,” she recommends.

Lum adds that, over the years, she’s seen “traditional meals” evolve with Canada’s changing demographics.

“Railway workers until early 1950s we saw plenty of Cantonese-style cooking of symbolic dishes using steaming as a cooking method, and ingredients like soya sauce, garlic, sesame oil and subtle use of ginger,” Lum writes in an email to Shine On.

“Dishes you would witness at a Cantonese family dinner table would be a whole steamed fish, a whole steamed chicken and even BBQ suckling pork (now it’s not a whole suckling pig due to rising cost). Each dish, complete with head and tail, to remind the family members of the blessings from the past year, and the family’s hopes for abundance in the new year. As Canada witness immigrants come from other regions of China, we witness those same dishes cooked Sichuan just to name another area. Lets not forget, this is Lunar Asian New Year, so Vietnamese and Taiwanese communities also celebrate!”

Lum offers us a quick language lesson:

Gung Hei Fatt Choi! (Cantonese)

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Mandarin)

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Vietnamese)

Eat for good luck.

“Chinese New Year festivities is a time of surrounding yourself with many symbols of Double Happiness (lobster dish), Luck (shrimp/fish), Fortune (lettuce), Health (longevity noodles, uncut),” Lum says.

Those unbroken noodles represent longevity, so make sure your guests all eat at least one whole noodle, writes Shannon McCook for Parade’s Community Table.

A fish served whole represents a complete, healthy year.

Consider putting out a “tray of togetherness” for guests: a tray with eight compartments of goodies to snack on — or to be given as a gift.

“On our food tours we try to pick up the deep-fried pastries that look like your granny’s little change wallet (they’re packed with symbolic ingredients of peanuts, coconut & sugar),” Lum says.

Included on Lum’s trays are often firecracker cookies, savoury noodle-like chips and lucky candies.

One popular Chinese New Year item is nian gao — nian refers to the word “year” and gao means “cake” — a traditional steamed rice cake garnished with sesame seeds and red dates (to bring “early prosperity”).

“Traditionally it’s made to be eaten by cutting a few pieces, panfrying them on an oiled pan until you get a ‘Chinese New Year Marshmallow’!” Lum writes. “These are eaten in the old year to wish your family a year of plenty and then you continue into the new year to ensure that that new period is also taken care of! “

It’s okay to take a few shortcuts.

Preparing an 8-dish meal might seem overwhelming. Lum says there’s no harm in checking out the frozen food aisle of Asian grocery stores.

“Frozen dumplings are aplenty. Add a medley of shrimp, chicken & pork dumplings plus veggies of choice to noodles for a hot pot Chinese New Year dinner party!” she suggests.

If you don’t live near an Asian grocery store, look for T&T dumplings and dim sum at your local Loblaws, No Frills or Real Canadian Superstore.

Stock up on fruit.

Tangerines and oranges are commonly displayed as decorations and then given as gifts: the tangerine represents wealth, and the orange brings good luck.

The pomelo is thought to bring “continuous prosperity and status,” writes Rosemary Gong in her book, Good Luck Life.

Besides being a superfood, the pomegranate is a symbol of happiness, fertility and promises to ward off evil spirits.

Decorate with red.

Choose a traditional party palette of red — which symbolizes good fortune and joy — tangerine and peach.

And culinary experts at Loblaws are reminding us to add generosity to the party-planning list:

“Make sure you have some red envelopes on hand – the traditional Chinese New Year gift is a red envelope with some ‘lucky money’ inside.”

The 15-day festival ends with the Lantern Festival on March 5th. If you’re hosting dinner that day, lanterns are a must.

“Traditionally, you’d light up lanterns to decorate the homes for one more big feast with the family members while also remembering those family members no longer with you,” Lum writes.

Recipe: Braised E-Fu Noodles (long life noodles)

Try making your own “long-life” noodles, with this recipe developed by Stephanie Yuen for Loblaw Companies Limited.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth

  • 1 tbsp(15 mL) Chinese Shaoh-Tsing rice wine

  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce

  • 2 tsp (10 mL) light soy sauce

  • 2 tsp (10 mL) dark soy sauce

  • 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar

  • 1 - pkg 220 g dry E-Fu noodles

  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) safflower oil

  • 1 tsp (5 mL) minced ginger

  • 1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic

  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) safflower oil

  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL) minced ginger

  • 1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic

  • 1 cup (250 mL) sliced re-hydrated dried shiitake mushrooms

  • 1-¼ cup julienned carrots

  • 1-¼ ( 300 mL) cup julienned snow peas

  • 1 cup ( 250 mL) Chinese chives cut into 2 inch lengths

Method:

1. Stir together chicken broth, wine, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar to make sauce; set aside.

2. Submerge noodles 1 minute in large pot of boiling unsalted water, separating noodles as they soften. Do not over cook. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain well.

Reserve in single layer on baking sheet, set aside.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil on high heat in wok or large frying pan, add 1 tsp each minced ginger, garlic, cook until fragrant, 10 seconds, add shiitake; cook until mushrooms are lightly browned about 4 to 5 minutes. Push to one side of pan, add noodles, let cook 1 minute. Turn noodles and mushrooms with wide spatula after 1 minute; repeat for 5 minutes or until noodles are lightly fried and hot.

Remove to plate. In same wok or frying pan heat remaining 1 tbsp oil; stir-fry carrot, snow peas and chives until tender crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer to plate with noodles.

4. Add sauce mixture to same wok or frying pan and bring to a boil on high heat.

Return noodles and vegetables, mix and cook until sauce is absorbed by noodles about 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe: A Fish of Bounty

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 with steamed rice

Ingredients:

  • 2 pc. T&T dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and soaked in ½ cup hot water for 30 to 45 minutes

  • in advance, or until mushrooms are softened completely

  • 1 1½ to 2 lb live Tilapia, head & tail intact, scaled, gutted and cleaned. Cut 2 X 1” slits on each

  • side below the gill where the thickest of the fish is.

  • 1 Tbsp. julienned ginger

  • ¼ cup julienned green onion

  • ¼ cup julienned cilantro

  • ¼ cup cooking oil

  • 1 Tbsp T&T dark soy sauce

  • 1 Tbsp T&T light soy sauce

  • 1 Tbsp water

  • ½ tsp. sugar

Method:

1. Remove mushroom cap and julienne thinly, discard water.

2. Bring 3 cups of water in a large steamer (or wok) to a full boil. (Make sure the fish dish fits the steamer or wok. You can also use a microwave steamer to steam the fish and should take less time to cook)

3. Pat dry fish and place on dish. Spread ginger and mushroom evenly on fish. Place dish in steamer, cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. To test for doneness, poke the thick of the fish with a sharp knife. Fish is ready when knife comes out clean.

4. In a small saucepan, mix and heat dark and light soy sauce, water and sugar to a gentle boil. Remove from heat.

5. Remove fish dish from steamer, add green onion and cilantro. .

6. In a small saucepan, bring oil to a boil. Sizzle onto green onion and cilantro. Pour sweet soy mixture on top.

Ready to serve.

How do you celebrate Asian New Year?

Learn more about Lum’s upcoming food tours — and her 12-course banquet celebrating Chinese New Year — on her Facebook page here.