East and Southeast Asian communities worldwide are preparing to observe the Lunar New Year, scheduled for February 17 this year and spanning a 15-day period. Each Chinese zodiac year aligns with an elemental cycle, and the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse signals a time for significant life adjustments. This zodiac year is linked to intense action, individual development, and a vibrant pace of living.
Given its occurrence only once every 60 years on the zodiac calendar, some individuals may not experience this event again in their lifetime. To commemorate the Year of the Fire Horse, we had the pleasure of speaking with author Angela Hui, who shared her affection for the Lunar New Year and the cherished moments spent with loved ones, along with a delightful recipe for you to try at home.
Before you delve into the culinary experience, why not craft your own fire horse using the Chinese paper-folding technique, as demonstrated by Tesco? Simply access the provided sheet and follow the instructional video.
The Lunar New Year holds a special place for many, often dubbed “Asian Christmas” for numerous families, marking the most significant holiday in the calendar. It serves as a time for family reunions, paying respects to ancestors, and welcoming good fortune.
Personally, one of the highlights of returning home is the opportunity to cook alongside my chef mother. Despite the cliché, food acts as our primary form of communication. Engaged in culinary activities, time seems to slip away. Engrossed in preparing dumplings or chopping vegetables side by side, we engage in casual chatter akin to aunties. The unspoken kitchen rhythm is profoundly comforting; mere presence suffices, often obviating the need for words.
Moreover, food plays a pivotal role in shaping our celebration plans. In Chinese tradition, serving symbolic dishes that represent aspirations for the upcoming year is customary. Engrossed in planning our family’s Lunar New Year menu days in advance, we exchange recipe ideas, photos, videos, and voice notes. “Whole steamed fish is essential,” my mother insists, citing the phrase “年年有余, leen leen yow yu,” symbolizing the wish for prosperity year after year, as the word for fish, ‘yu,’ resembles surplus and abundance.
The discussion veers towards dumplings, symbolizing wealth, with the belief that the more consumed, the greater the affluence. Resembling ancient gold ingots, dumplings hold a special significance, prompting us to indulge heartily. Proposing the idea of crafting money bag dumplings using cabbage wrappers, we engage in a lively exchange, eventually settling on eight dishes symbolizing prosperity, luck, and completeness.
Below, you’ll find my recipe for steamed fish, enabling you to recreate this delectable dish in the comfort of your home. All necessary ingredients can be conveniently sourced from Tesco.
