Posted on Friday, 16 February, 2018 Friday, 16 February, 2018 by Zheluo Cai
The most important festival in the Chinese calendar also comes with longstanding traditions. Spanning at least 2,000 years to the time of the Han Dynasty, Chinese New Year – or Spring Festival – began as an end-of-harvest celebration to give thanks for the year’s crops. Food, then and now, is the main preoccupation of Chinese New Year, and there’s a reason why these nine auspicious dishes and food items are served for the reunion dinner. Here’s is a list:
Nian Gao – Year Cake
Mandarin for “year cake,” this glutinous rice-based cake can be found year round, but is traditionally consumed during Chinese New Year for good luck. Nian gao is a homonym for ‘higher year’ – raising yourself in status in the coming year. It’s a popular gift during this period, especially when shaped in a pair of carps to symbolise surplus, or ingots to represent wealth. The cakes we’re familiar with are in the Cantonese style, sweetened with brown sugar and can be eaten as is. However, the favourite way is to pan-fry it with an egg to add a crispy bite to the sticky, chewy treat.
Yu – Fish
The Chinese word for “abundance” or “surplus”, yu (a homonym for “fish”) is inescapable during Chinese New Year, and this makes fish the inevitable star of any Chinese New Year meal. A whole fish with the head and tail is de rigeur, as it symbolises the year’s beginning to end, and freshwater is usually preferred. However, tradition also has it that you should deliberately leave some of the fish uneaten to truly represent the “surpluses” of the coming year.
Yu Sheng – Raw Fish Salad
The contemporary version of this dish proudly debuted in Singapore in the 1960s at Lai Wah Restaurant. Yusheng or yoo sang (in Cantonese) translates to “raw fish,” but also symbolises abundance. The humble dish was thought to have been inspired by a dish that originated in Guangdong, China – strips of fresh, raw fish to accompany porridge. It is meant to be served on ren ri, the seventh day of new year, but the combination of condiments such as plum sauce and sesame oil, alongside shredded fresh vegetables and raw strips of fish or seafood has become so popular that it’s eaten before, during and even after Chinese New Year, as part of any gatherings or reunions.
Jiao Zi – Dumplings
Dumplings traditionally resemble ingots, or money, hence eating dumpling is believed to usher in wealth. In Northern China where this tradition is more popular, jiao zi are made with a soy-ginger cabbage and pork filling and eaten at midnight. To make it more literal, a gold coin may be hidden in one of the dumplings to bring extra luck to the eater. More popular in Singapore is tang yuan – sweet glutinous rice balls; its name sounds like tuan yuan, or ‘reunion’.
Fatt Choy Ho See – Black Moss with Dried Oysters
Chances are, you will be confronted with a vegetable dish studded with black moss (fatt choy– which sounds like “strike it rich” in Cantonese) and braised dried oysters (ho see – Cantonese term signifying “good things”). The name of the resulting dish sounds like “successful, prosperous business” – and is usually served casserole-style with lettuce (sang choy which sounds in Cantonese like “rising fortune”). Slurp it up.
Chang Shou Mian – Longevity Noodles
The longer the noodle, the longer the wish for a long and healthy life. Chang shou mien, or longevity noodles, are eaten all year round, but bring extra meaning to birthday and new year celebrations. To boost the longevity wishes, cook your noodles with mustard greens, which symbolise long life for parents.
The Phoenix and the Dragon – Whole Chicken and Lobster
Bring hope to your table with a whole chicken. The Chicken or Phoenix represents a good marriage and the coming together of families. The Cantonese will opt for fried chicken, as the dish name in Cantonese, kum gai bo hay, means “golden rooster reporting the good news”. According to Martin Yan, the “Phoenix and Dragon” dish is a must for Chinese New Year – using chicken to represent the Phoenix, and lobster for the Dragon.
Pencai – Big Bowl Feast
A braised dish attributed to the Song Dynasty and associated with Hong Kong, pencai has become an attractive dish for Singaporeans during Chinese New Year for its large portions and deluxe ingredients, rather than festive symbolism. In a wooden or ceramic basin or pot, ingredients are layered according to textures – vegetables are arrayed at the bottom to soak up juices, pork, chicken and mushrooms in the middle, and seafood such as prawns, abalone, sea cucumber and scallops are crowned on top. The dish is prepared over a few days to bring out the flavours of each ingredient. Credit: Hungry GoWhere.
NASA, ULA Launch Parker Solar Probe on Historic Journey to Touch Sun Sunday, 12 August, 2018
Hours before the rise of the very star it will study, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched from Florida Sunday to begin its journey to the Sun, where it will undertake a landmark mission. The spacecraft will transmit its first science observations in December, beginning a revolution in our understanding of the star that makes life […]
Meet the People Behind NASA's InSight Mars Lander Thursday, 2 August, 2018
Mars Terraforming Not Possible Using Present-Day Technology Monday, 30 July, 2018
Transforming the inhospitable Martian environment into a place astronauts could explore without life support is not possible without technology well beyond today’s capabilities.
The Human Brain
Multi-tasking is bad for performance. Multi-tasking makes your brain toggle back and forth between several tasks. This causes a drop in attention span, performance, learning and short-term memory.
News from APA 2018: Rude to your co-worker? Think of the children Saturday, 11 August, 2018
Incivility in the workplace associated with more negative parenting behaviors at home, study says.
News from APA 2018: Depressed teens, depressed parents Saturday, 11 August, 2018
Treating depression in teens may benefit parents’ mental health, too, study finds.
Japanese Spider Crab
Conservation International
Expert: Conservation, indigenous rights at a crossroads Thursday, 9 August, 2018
A recently published paper has added to a body of evidence showing that indigenous peoples can be powerful allies for protecting nature.
Bruno Vander Velde
Climate mitigation takes root Monday, 6 August, 2018
Mangroves could well be our last line of defense against climate change. But they're under threat.
ʻAulani Wilhelm
Imago Dei
The Kayapo are an indigenous people in Brazil, from the plain islands of the Mato Grosso and Pará in Brazil, south of the Amazon Basin and along Rio Xingu and its tributaries. They call themselves "Mebengokre," which means "people of the wellspring." In 2010, there was an estimated 8,638 Kayapos. Subgroups include the Xikrin, Gorotire, Mekranoti and Metyktire. Their villages typically consist of a dozen huts.
CDC Travellers’ Health Notices
Alert - Polio in Papua New Guinea Monday, 13 August, 2018
There is an outbreak of polio in Papua New Guinea. CDC recommends that all travelers to Papua New Guinea be fully vaccinated against polio.
Watch - Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo Wednesday, 8 August, 2018
There is an outbreak of Ebola in North Kivu (Kivu Nord) province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Relief Web
UN should never be a target, Baghdad bombing survivors stress, 15 years after deadly attack Monday, 13 August, 2018
Source: UN News Service Country: Iraq The truck-bomb attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003 was one of the most lethal in UN history, and marked a turning point in how the UN and aid groups operate in the field.On 19 August 2003, a suicide bomber drove a truck full of […]
Huyendo de la violencia, nicaragüenses buscan seguridad en Costa Rica Monday, 13 August, 2018
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Costa Rica, Nicaragua Los enfrentamientos en Nicaragua han dejado por lo menos 317 muertos, de acuerdo con la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Más de 2.000 personas han quedado heridas.Miles de personas que huyen de los asesinatos, las violaciones de derechos y las tensiones en su país, están […]
National Flag of the Mauritania
The flag of Mauritania is a green field containing a gold star and crescent, with a red stripe at the top and bottom of the field. It was adopted on 1 April 1959. Green is used to symbolise Islam, and the gold is for the sands of the Sahara desert. The two red stripes, which represent the efforts and sacrifices of the Mauritanians, the price of their blood to defend their country.
Burma (Myanmar) - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions Tuesday, 24 July, 2018
Exercise normal precautions in Burma. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do not travel to: Maungdaw, Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine State due to civil unrest. Paletwa township in Chin State due to civil unrest. Hpakan, Mansi, Momauk, Sumprabum, Tanai, and Waingmaw townships in Kachin State due to civil […]
Haiti - Level 3: Reconsider Travel Tuesday, 17 July, 2018
Reconsider travel to Haiti due to crime and civil unrest. On July 9, 2018, the U.S. government authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their families. Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common. Protests, tire burning, and road blockages are frequent and often spontaneous. Local police may lack the resources to […]
The UK Foreign Service Travel Advice
USA Monday, 13 August, 2018
Latest update: Summary – edit to information; Yosemite National Park now re-opened, California and Oregon wildfires ongoing.
Philippines Monday, 13 August, 2018
Latest update: Terrorism section (Kidnapping) - addition of information; the local authorities in Palawan have recently warned the public of a heightened risk from kidnapping; if in the area, you should follow the advice of local security and remain vigilant at all times
Known as “the prehistoric Sistine Chapel,” the Lascaux Caves, a cave complex in southwestern France, contain some of the most remarkable palaeolithic cave paintings in the world, from at least 15,000 years ago. The cave was discovered on 12 September 1940 by four teenagers, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel, and Simon Coencas, as well as Ravidat’s dog, Robot. Public access was made easier after World War II. By 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art.
make hay while the sun shines
If you make hay while the sun shines, you make good use of the chance to do something while it lasts.
Pray for Christians in Saudi Arabia
7TH CENTURY SAUDI MONASTERY CHALLENGES BAN ON CHURCH BUILDINGS. Click on image for more information.
Creation is enthralling and mysterious, and the wisdom of God remains perennially unfathomable. To know Him is to barely understand His heart but to know myself, despite the many regrettable mistakes that have been made, is to understand the sufficiency of His grace, faithfulness, and lovingkindness. My enriching journey with Him took me through the halls of national service (the army), auditing, cross-cultural missionary service, church work, mentoring, psychology, and caregiving. Although now in retirement, I am still very much a learner at heart and an avid reader, and despite the smudges in life, I love it. Eternity then becomes a lifelong expectation. Zheluo Cai
Rohingya Refugee Settlements Weather Record Rains
How Ethical Is The Elephant Sanctuary You Are Visiting?
Peaks, Paths And Peace In The Yorkshire Dales
Jakarta, A Fast-Sinking City