Chinese New Year Foods

According a 2000 Hong Kong government report, Chinese New Year "signifies hope and joy". "A number of special foods are taken during this period as part of the celebration and they exemplify strong local features. " Most Hong Kong residents are from Southern China. Their Chinese New Year food reflects the Guangdong (Cantonese) cultures. The Hong Kong government classifies Hong Kong Chinese New Year Foods into five main categories:

• steamed puddings (Sweet puddings of flour, sugar, and perhaps vegetables or coconut milk and salty/savoury puddings of flour, preserved meat, turnip or taro),
• fried dumplings,
• sweetened fruits and vegetables,
• glutinous rice balls and
• seeds.

The focus of their Safe Food Report was actually the food preservatives and colorings found in Chinese New Year foods in 1996 - 1999.

Whole fish, practically a requirement for new Year's eve dinner, was not listed at all. If you are Cantonese - or a boater - do not turn the fish over. You do not want to capsize your boat! After eating one side of the fish, remove the bone and eat the other side - but not all of it. Save some for "new year" - the next day. You want to ensure prosperity - but always having [more/extra fish]. "Fish" and "Extra" sound the same in Chinese.

In Northern China dumplings(jiaozi) are common, perhaps especially for New Year's eve. Long life noodles are eaten for Chinese New Year in some parts of China. I have taken noodles in - with grated carrots, grated cucumber, and sauce on the side to preschools and mixed-age school groups. Last time, we looked at this Long Life Noodle recipe before heading out to shop for ingredients. I always tell them what is in it and never substituted peanut butter for sesame paste (tahini) due to potential allergy issues.

Nian gao (sticky rice cakes) are more common in the south - where more rice is grown.

Someone on the faculty at the University of Victoria posted a more traditional look at Chinese New Year foods and their symbolism. Asian Art Museum has a two-page Fruits and Flowers for Chinese New Year brochure online that discusses a lot of symbolism. For more on foods special to Chinese New Year, read Wikipedia's Chinese New Year Food entry.

Chinese Food - you can make it!

WARNING: Always, always check for food allergies. Some parents do not expect that their child would come into contact with nuts or shellfish and do not always pass on information about food allergies or a family history of food allergies. Some believe that children, especially those with a family history of allergies, should not be exposed to nuts, berries or shellfish until they are at least 3 or 5 or even 10 years old. Some schools make foods but do not allow children to eat them in school, sending the finished product home with a list of ingredients. People can become so allergic to an item that air-borne contact can trigger a reaction.

No liability is accepted in any way in making suggestions for Chinese food that may be simple to make.

What is simple to make depends in part on your confidence, experience, the age of your students and the size of your class. Some teachers have brought rice cookers or electric flying pans into classrooms and made many dishes in a space with no kitchen. As with any lesson plan, it will be more successful if you try it yourself first and plan for any changes or accommodations needed due to your particular needs, space, or students.

Chopsticks
I think chopsticks should always be used and shown. Asia education has a page on Using Chopsticks, and I bet there are videos on the web now!

The Food
Dumplings, jiaozi, of many varieties are available at your local Asian grocery. Dumplings (jiaozi and steamed cdumplings or bao) and wonton skins should be in the freezer section, and may also be in the refrigerated section. An Asian grocery would be a good source for other prepared foods, well as boxes for things like fried rice or mapo dofu sauce.

Wontons or dumplings made with raw meat are usually cooked in boiling water within 3-4 minutes. Cut one open to check for doneness or use a probe thermometer to ensure the desired temperature has been reached. You may want to have a flavored broth in a separate bowl. Wontons, especially some of the children’s will start to unwrap, especially if overcooked.

Noodles are traditionally eaten more in wheat-growing areas, and rice is eaten more close to where it is grown. I think that this sort of information is as important as geographic features of China.

Eggdrop soup is simple and Chinese but not associated with any particular holiday.

I like the sound of the recipe Pinkcocoa found for claypot chicken recipe - adapted to a rice cooker - although not so much the broken English conversation after the recipe. We have not tried it yet or her Taiwanese meatballs - although they are a comfort food and not New Year's feast dish.

The San Francisco Chronicle shares some recipes in Chinese New Year is all about tradition. I think we are trying the winter cone-shaped bamboo suggestions. The Times of London has some in Jill Duplex's Chinese New Year Feast article. Or, read my entry on Chinese New Year Foods in general.

Updated: 3/2007