Lunar New Year Food Diary: Festive food and meaning (Part 2)

The Chinese take their festive seasons seriously, and take pride in incorporating the auspicious items as part of the celebration as symbols of the good fortune. The Lunar New Year; or more commonly known as the Chinese New Year in this part of the world, is one of the most important celebration observed by the Chinese for it signifies the arrival of Spring and is where the brand new year starts. The Chinese is very superstitious too, especially when it comes to the beginning and they take particular attention to the details to ensure that everything resets and that all bad things are to be cast away or put at the back of the mind as part of the past and they look forward to a good beginning. Therefore, everything must be meaningful and can only bring good omen; even the names of the food are all given to signify prosperity, well-being, happiness and all positive wishes.

Following my earlier post on the cookies and the platter of goodies displayed at home during this festive season, in this post, I will just share on a few auspicious items often seen during the Lunar New Year and the reasons behind their appearance. Not really a dictionary or wikipedia, but just a simple sharing of the photos and meaning to the Chinese community during this auspicious occasion.

Mandarin Oranges (柑) are the most common and important fruit/symbol during this season.
The Chinese name; Kan, is similar in its sound to the other word (金 ); which means Gold. It is supposed to be a symbol of prosperity and wealth. Also, this fruit typically ripens as it approaches Spring and is naturally introduced to the festive celebration. Furthermore, the color of the fruit and the round shape make it even more appealing to the Chinese as an auspicious symbol.

While it is similar on the exterior to the oranges, the mandarins are only slightly smaller and its skin can be easily peeled to reveal its inner fruit. This is another important factor as the first day of the Lunar New Year does not allow the use of sharp objects; knives and scissors and therefore this can be easily consumed with just a peel away.







Pomelo is usually seen during the Mooncake festival, but it is still an auspicious symbol for its name in Cantonese, 'Lok Yau' means have; and can be associated with being able to have anything one wishes for.


A fresh pomelo; or the preferred type of pomelo is with its stem and leaf attached as it usually means that it was freshly plucked from the tree. Also, the leaves from the pomelo tree are often used for its medicinal and also religious properties. From the religious aspect, the pomelo leaves are believed to be able to cast away evil or ward off bad luck. It was rather common among the Chinese community and was even depicted in the movies, where the unlucky folks will always be swept with the pomelo leaves or encouraged to bathe with the pomelo leaves in the water to wash off the misfortune.
For medicinal properties, I was told that the thick skin of the pomelo can be dried and then can be used to treat ailments (though I am not sure what type of ailment).



We were quite lucky for the pomelo appeared to be a 'navel' type, lol, with a tiny pomelo grown inside the pomelo itself.





I love this fruit, and as you can see, this is a type of citrus fruit. While there are many who loves sweet fruits, this unique fruit is best if it is of the sweet, sour with a tinge of light bitterness at the end and it can be a refreshing and cooling treat to combat those heat from the consumption of all the cookies during the festive season.

For those who prepares for deity worship, the following are also the items which they usually like to prepare as offerings to the gods and deities for blessings over the family throughout the year.

A cake; any cake will do actually, although most of the time, the butter pound cake is seen at most of the shops during the festive season. It doesn't cost much, and it is usually packed with a red ominous character stuck on top of the package.



Another type of cake is this Prosperity Cake; or Huat Kueh (in Hokkien) and Fat Kou (in Cantonese) - pretty much means prosperity in short.



This cake is also commonly seen during the celebration of the the 1st and 15th of every lunar month as offerings to the deities on these days, and therefore is also an auspicious item to be consumed even more so in the first month of the brand new year. As its name suggests, it is to wish for prosperity and the good fortune to come into one's life and also their family's throughout the year. It would be even better if they can prosper and grow rich; the common wishes/thoughts which go through the minds of those who consume it.



Hope you have enjoyed the sharing on the festive food and their meanings, and while the festive celebration of the Lunar New Year has ended last Friday, there are still more goodies and photos coming your way in my blog.

To a great new HorseY year ahead!~~

Lunar New Year Food Photo Diary: Goodies to share around

The Lunar New Year is coming to an end, and I am going to compile a list of the festive goodies seen during this season; especially those appearing in my sight (home).
While there are those who may not be in the mood to celebrate due to various reasons, or unable to celebrate, it is still no reason not to fill ourselves with the festivity and cheer to make ourselves happy. The festive mood this year was probably slightly dampened due to economic situation and also anxiety everywhere around the world, but there is still that glitter of hope and one can make a change. It may seem like a rough road, but do not let our spirits down. What better way to build up our hopes than to usher in a brand new year with the arrival of the Lunar Spring, shortly after the celebration of the grand New Year on January 1?
Indeed, the days WILL get better, and the very first thing we should do is to make ourselves happy and spread the love and joy to those around us. It could be a stranger, or our loved ones, but it will make a difference. Happiness is indeed a choice.

Now, back to my post, in conjunction with the last day of the Lunar New Year celebration and I am about to wrap up the festive food diary series (there is probably only one or two posts left!), I have compiled a round of goodies/snacks typically found during the festive season where they are made to share around.
Of course, I couldn't possibly compile the full list for there are just endless varieties of cookies and snacks out there! The following are just the interesting ones I have captured from the comforts of my own home and those from homes I have visited, just to share and spread the festive cheer around!
(I am NOT responsible for any craving or misbehavior over the hunt for these goodies, LOL!)



The typical platter of goodies prepared at every home filled with an assortment of sweets and cookies for the visiting guests during the festive season.



Sweet candied gummies; which are usually the most commonly spotted in most of these platters appearing at almost every home. Reason is simple enough; these are obviously the treats for the little ones. Children just love sweets, especially these soft and chewy gummies which are flavorful, colorful and even smells of the fruity scent when one bites into them.
If you have noticed, most of the festive food are always sweet, and for the Lunar New Year, the Chinese believe that the sweet food can bring a year of happiness, filled with sweet and lovely things ahead.



Kuih Bangkit (Tapioca cookies)
These are one of the must have cookies for the festive season; and one of the traditional cookies which is on almost everyone's favorite list. The best type? Those that are fragrant and crisp on the outside but 'pops' and melts in the mouth.





Peanut cookies




A variety of preserved and candied fruits









Roasted nuts


Kuih Kapit or the traditional Love letters
Thin and usually triangular-shapped; this is another traditional must-have during the festive season.




Kok Chai (Mini Crispy dumplings filled with peanuts, or also known as mini peanut puffs)




Hong Kong Egg Rolls





How was your platter of goodies like?
Perhaps you had more?
Do you usually maintain/refill the same goodies, or do you replace with others periodically throughout the 15 days?




More Goodies coming up next....

Lunar New Year Food Diary: Day 5

Day 5 continues with more home cooked food; with a few additional dishes added to the menu prepared before we return to work.
Mothers always try to make the best of the meals prepared for their children; no matter how we plead with them to make things simple or just dine out. No, it is not a good idea to most of them as they feel that we ought to enjoy the homemade dishes since we are often working late and when we are out working, we have already fed our systems with too much outside food which, in their minds, are less healthy and probably MSG-laden (even if we tell them we are eating healthy). That is how a mother always thinks; but it is with much love and care that they want for their children and to provide them with the best nourishment.

My mummy is no exception, and from the past posts, we have enjoyed many dishes from her, and she continues to whip up another few dishes.

Mengkuang Char (Stir-fried jicama with carrot strips and dried shrimps)
This is a dish typically found in most Hokkien households during the festive season; as part of the huge feast of the reunion dinner too. My mum tells me that her grandmother and mother used to make this for every lunar new year celebration as part of their reunion dinner as it was a colorful and auspicious dish for the vegetable portion. The golden colors, obviously was part of the auspicious symbol, and traditionally, meat, shrimps and even cuttlefish would be included in the dish.


This is one of my favorite dishes to have as well; and this was one of the simpler versions with just pure vegetables and dried shrimps which added to the aromatic taste of the combination.



Lean pork meat was an additional dish added to the menu.
Meat is always considered a luxury item since the older days, as they are scarce and expensive. Therefore, pork, especially is considered a festive item and its appearance is often associated with celebrations and major events.




Sweet and sour black pomfret makes its appearance again



A simple meal, but filled with lots of love just makes this more special and no price tag can be put on the thoughts which went into the meal preparation!~

Lunar New Year Food Diary: Day 4 (Mummy's Dishes)

The festive food galore continues on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year; well, festive seasons, especially the Lunar/Chinese New Year is always (yes, ALWAYS) about food.
Being home means that I get to enjoy the wonderful tastes of home cooked food, and the hot pot saga has officially ended on the third day.
On the fourth day, tantalizing dishes from mummy's kitchen filled the table.

Stir fried leeks with carrots, snow peas, onions and fish cakes


According to the Chinese tradition, leeks are a must-have during the New Year as the name in Chinese. 'Suan' sounds like counting/calculating and it literally brings the meaning of being able to have plenty to count throughout the year; be it fortune, blessings, money, and everything good. It was something which has been passed on for generations, and I believe most Chinese families observed this tradition as well.
This clearly explains the reason behind the price hike of this vegetable before and during the festive season.






Sweet and sour black pomfret, garnished with loads of onions and garlic

Fish, as explained in the earlier post, is one of the auspicious and symbolic food to have during the Lunar New Year as it signifies the meaning of having plenty left at home due to the sound of fish in Chinese, 'yu' which means leftover. Therefore, it is very important for many Chinese homes to have many to look forward to and more than enough to eat, clothe and spend on for the year for the entire family.
For my family, besides the auspicious reason, the other reason being that fish is always my favorite dish to have since I was a child and the black pomfret must always be prepared either sweet and sour, or spicy for it is a fish with a slightly thicker flesh compared to its white counterpart (white pomfret) and cooking it longer would end up in a coarse tasting flesh. Therefore, to truly enjoy the fish, there should be a stronger taste to accompany it; such as spicy chili or sour ketchup sauce.

Another tradition in the family, passed down from my late grandmother is this Sweet and Sour Cucumber slices with chilies.
It is a family recipe and we always have this dish during festive seasons; such as Christmas and the Lunar New Year, that I always associate this dish with celebration.
(That's why they say childhood memories dictate the perception of an individual which can be carried to their adulthood)



Steamed Lap Cheong (Chinese sausages)

It is not uncommon to see preserved food like these appearing on most dining tables in Chinese homes during this season, as this practice dates back to our early predecessors' time whereby they do not have the luxury of our modern technology such as refrigerator to store their food to maintain its optimum state. Back then, they will use salt and vinegar or other methods to preserve most of their food; particular the fresh catches/harvest. Due to the association of meat as the luxurious item and thus, a must-have for celebrations, the meat is preserved in forms such as the preserved sausages, preserved duck/pork, etc.
The steamed sausages is to go with the earlier cucumber dish; with the coldness of the sweet and sour cucumber slices to complement the salty taste of the sausages.

Pan fried Carrot and egg cakes is an experiment by Mummy who wanted to try at making it following a cooking show she watched.
It was an interesting dish, though she wasn't too pleased with the results.
However, it was positively a new dish she innovated from the original intended dish and that is one good way to look at it :-)



With the remaining tomyam left in the kitchen, we threw in the fishballs and mushrooms to make this Fishball tomyam soup.


Our homecooked feast on Day 4!



Tuck in with the rice to the wonderful spread!~
































Nothing beats home cooked food, do you agree? ヽ(•‿•)ノ

Lunar New Year Food Diary: Longan for dessert

The Lunar New Year calls for major increase in food sales; especially the canned food and drinks for they are the most convenient form for guests and also in the preparation of meals at home.

Canned drinks and preserved fruits such as fruit cocktail, pineapples, and particularly longan and lychee, rank the best-selling item during this season. Perhaps it is due to the reason that the longan represent the meaning of good (its phonetic sound in Hokkien rhymes with good) and also due to it being a sweet and round fruit, and it also happens to be in season (in the countries where they were grown).

Anyway, for as far as I can remember, we usually have chilled longan drinks for dessert during the Lunar New year celebration where the family will sit together to watch the comedies on air with our glasses filled with longan and sweet syrup with ice.

Then what do we do?

We start enjoying the movie and chilled drink, and oh yes, we count the longans!
Yes, it is not that we never have enough, it is just fun to just have that number of longans and then count how many we have in our cups (though I do know, since I was the one who prepared and serves the longan drinks)

Counting the round little fruits can be as enjoyable as savoring them; and don't take them all at the same time for it spoils the fun, but rather, chew and just enjoy each bite.

It just seems like such an entertaining activity; after all, what else is there to do when we are supposed to take a break from work and enjoy quality time with our families during the festive season?
Since it is always about food, shouldn't we have that little quality time with our food too? Or our little longan dessert?



Good times call for fun times too~

Do you have longan or lychee for your dessert too? Or something else?
Cheers!!~~