The Year of the Horse

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese Calendar. The Chinese year 4712 begins on Jan. 31, 2014.

Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.

The official seven-day holiday is marked by parades, prayers – and usually pyrotechnics. But things are a bit different this year.

Revelers in China are being encouraged not to set off fireworks, due to concerns about pollution. Even though fireworks are an integral part of the new year celebration there, a survey found that 85% of Shanghai residents said they were not buying any this holiday season,

It's not too late to get in on the festivities by trying a few recipes with an Asian theme. 

Given the importance of food in Chinese culture, it is not surprising that food plays a major role in Chinese New Year celebrations. "Lucky" foods are served through the two week Chinese New Year celebration, also called the Spring festival.

Symbolic Chinese Foods

What gives a certain food symbolic significance? Sometimes it is based on appearance. For example, serving a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year season symbolizes family togetherness. Noodles represent a long life; an old superstition says that it's bad luck to cut them. Both clams and Spring Rolls symbolize wealth; clams because of their resemblance to bouillon, and Spring Rolls because their shape is similar to gold bars.

On the other hand, a food may have special significance during Chinese New Year because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds. For example, the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other lucky food. Tangerines and oranges are passed out freely during Chinese New Year as the words for tangerine and orange sound like luck and wealth, respectively. And let's not forget pomelos. This large ancestor of the grapefruit signifies abundance, as the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the word for "to have."

Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.

And what about the sweet, steamed cakes that are so popular during the Chinese New Year season? Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.

Chinese Inspired Recipes

adapted from Iowagirleats.com

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Cook's notes: This is a streamlined healthier version of PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps. Use a wok or a large non-stick fry pan. This recipe can be put together in under 30 minutes.   

Carrots or rice noddles could be added for that extra crunch.

To increase your chances for good luck and wealth, be sure to serve sliced tangerines or oranges with the meal. 

Ingredients:

• cold lettuce leaves (Bibb or Iceberg) 
• 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 inch knob ginger peeled and minced or 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
• 2-1/2 TB. soy sauce
• 1 TB. + 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 TB. sesame oil (divided)
• 1 TB. peanut butter
• 1/2 TB. water
• 1 TB. honey
• 1 small can water chestnuts, drained and diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
• 1 TB. hoisin sauce
• garnish with coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews, green onions

Directions: 

• In fry pan or wok add 1TB. sesame oil, heat pan on high
• Add in chicken, onions, salt, pepper, celery, mushrooms, ginger and garlic
• Stir fry on high till chicken is not pink, remove from pan and wipe pan clean
• In microwave add soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, 1/2 TB. water, honey and chili garlic sauce-microwave 20 seconds and stir until smooth  
• Add sauce mixture to wok or fry pan, add in water chestnuts, hoisin sauce and chicken mixture 
• Cook until sauce is thickened and chicken mixture is heated through
• Spread chicken mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with chopped nuts, green onions and roll like a taco to serve

Tomorrow's posting: Fish for dinner (symbolizing my wish-abundance for  you in the new year)