The festive table is also very important as traditions are honored in China because it symbolizes good luck and prosperity on every meal.
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important day in the life of the Chinese. This is a traditional holiday that unites. On this day, all Chinese strive to be reunited with their families.
No matter which part of China celebrates the New Year, the table is always set with rich and traditional home cooking. Usually these are: homemade dumplings, steamed fish symbolizing abundance in the New Year, chicken soup, sweet rice with candied fruits. Appetizers may be different, but chicken, duck, fish and pork are indispensable in main courses.
The set of dishes can vary from province to province, for example, in Hunan in southern China, spicy and colorful dishes are often prepared.
After New Year’s, the dishes should remain on the dishes so that the next year is bountiful. The memory of the older generations is reflected in the Chinese New Year meal. Usually for the holiday are prepared dishes prepared by grandparents.
Fish is often served as a family meal on New Year’s Eve, as the Chinese believe that fish brings prosperity and increases wealth. It is extremely important to serve fish with tails and heads, which are symbols of a good start and end to the year.
The dish is placed with the head facing the venerable or elderly relatives at the table. And they try the fish first. The fish dish cannot be rearranged.
It is usually prepared:
- Carp. Because the first hieroglyph of this word corresponds to the word “luck”.
- Carp. Because the first character is pronounced the same as “gift”. A plate of carp on the New Year’s table symbolizes a wish for well-being.
- soma. Because it is compatible with the word “annual surplus”. So this treat promises abundance for a whole year.
- Perch as a symbol of wealth.
Chunjuan rolls or deep-fried spring rolls are also popular. They look like a mountain of gold nugget. They are usually prepared in the northern provinces.
Chicken is popular and is cooked whole with its paws and head. The legs go to the head of the family to “grab more wealth.”
Mandatory on the table are Chinese jiaozi dumplings, because in shape they resemble ancient silver ingots, which means that they promise wealth. That’s why they try to eat more meatballs at the table.
And the so-called “longevity noodles” are very popular in northern China and symbolize the wish for a long life. In order not to break the thread of life, it should not be bitten or cut. Served with broth, vegetables, garlic and sesame sauce.
And desserts are a must: sticky rice cake with sweet rice, rice balls, lotus seeds, tangerine, orange and grapefruit. Tangerines are even given as gifts as they symbolize wealth.
Focus invites you to cook the most interesting Chinese New Year dishes. And so celebrate this holiday.
Chinese New Year carp
Contents:
- Carp carp – 1 pc.;
- two bulbs;
- Garlic – 10 g;
- Ginger – 15 g;
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp. l.;
- sugar – 10 g;
- Salt, vegetable oil.
Clean and wash the fish well. Make several cuts in the carcass, but try not to cut it. Rub with salt and grated fresh ginger and leave for twenty minutes to let the fish soak up the flavors.
Heat the oil in a pan, fry the fish until golden brown on both sides and remove. Cut the onion into half rings, chop the garlic, finely chop the ginger, fry until the aroma appears in the oil in which the fish was fried, and return the fish to the pan. Add some water, soy sauce and sugar. Cook for about 20 minutes until the fish is done.
Chinese Chicken
Contents:
- chicken carcass;
- a light bulb;
- five cloves of garlic;
- Vegetable oil ─ 250 ml;
- sugar – 2 teaspoons;
- Salt ─ 2 tsp;
- Four cloves, black pepper, coriander seeds, ground nutmeg.
Fry the cloves, black pepper and coriander in a dry, hot frying pan. This is done to bring out their aroma. Grind the heated spices with a teaspoon of salt and nutmeg. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the inside and outside of the chicken with the spice and salt mixture. Put a whole peeled onion inside the carcass. Put the chicken in a bag and put it in the refrigerator for five hours.
After that, heat the vegetable oil in a deep bowl such as a wok or cauldron and put the bird back on the ground. Fry until golden brown, then turn the carcass and repeat, lubricating the carcass with the same oil. When the chicken is golden brown on all sides, remove it, drain the oil from the bottom and toss the five crushed garlic cloves into the wok. Then pour 0.5 liters of hot boiled water. Bring the water to a boil, add salt and sugar to make a sweet-salty broth, and return the chicken to the pot. Cook under a closed lid for about half an hour. Serve garnished with finely chopped coriander and paprika.
chinese jiaozi dumplings
Contents:
For testing:
- flour – three glasses;
- Half a glass of hot water;
- a third of a glass of cold water;
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.
To fill:
- minced meat – 500 g;
- Beijing cabbage – 400 g;
- green onions – 50 g;
- grated ginger – 1 tbsp. l.;
- soy sauce – 1 tsp;
- Ground black pepper.
Cut the cabbage very finely or pass it through a meat grinder. Finely chop the green onion. Mix ground beef, cabbage and green onions. Add the ginger, soy sauce, and pepper.
Now prepare the dough. Pour the flour into a bowl, make a hole in the middle, pour first the boiling water, then the cold water and add the vegetable oil. Knead until a tight elastic dough is obtained. Form the dough into a tourniquet and cut into small pieces, as if preparing meatballs. Thinly roll out each piece. Spread the minced meat, moisten the edges of the dough with water and form small meatballs. Boil for 30 minutes for a few minutes and serve with soy sauce where you can drip sesame oil for flavor.
You can also fry the ravioli in a pan, add hot water when they are browned, and cook them under the lid.
Bonus: Long Life Noodles
Contents:
- Long wheat or rice noodles – 225 g;
- sesame oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Three cloves of garlic;
- Soy sauce – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Salt, sesame, powdered white pepper, green onion.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. It usually takes about five minutes to prepare. Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water. Transfer to a large serving platter.
Whisk together the sesame oil, crushed garlic, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well. Try it and adjust it to your liking. Serve with sesame seeds and finely chopped green onions on top.
Source: Focus
Mary Moore is an accomplished author and journalist known for her engaging and informative writing on trending topics. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a keen interest in current events and a talent for finding the human angle in stories, Mary’s writing is always engaging, insightful and informative.