New Year New Meal

The beginning of the new year on the lunar calendar, used in many East Asian countries, is celebrated as the Lunar New Year. It typically falls in late January or early February. This year it was celebrated on February 12th.

The day is mainly associated with China (hence its alternate name: Chinese New Year), however, it is also observed in Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. To understand its significance, and honor the tradition, I decided to create a Lunar New Year-themed meal. The Lunar New Year is a time of celebration that is commemorated by red and gold decorations, fireworks, red envelopes typically filled with money given as gifts, and an elaborate dinner surrounded by family.

For the theme of this dinner, I created dishes typically served during Lunar New Year and to commemorate its Chinese origins, I decided to make a meal of traditional Chinese foods.

CHINESE SPRING ROLLS

Origin

Spring rolls are typically enjoyed during the Lunar New Year festivities as a symbol of wealth. The deep golden-brown color that spring rolls acquire while frying and the cylindrical shape resembles gold bars. Gold is a symbol of wealth and prosperity and can be found in various decorations, typically paired with red which symbolizes good fortune. Red is also believed to scare away malicious spirits and bad luck.

Spring rolls date back centuries, all the way back to the Tang dynasty (618-906 CE). However, the dish only started to resemble the rolls they are today during the Ming (1368-1644 CE) and Qing (1644-1912 CE) dynasties. The original Chinese spring rolls are typically filled with celery, carrots, bean sprouts, salted meat, etc. However, in the US, the dish has evolved to typically contain almost full meat fillings.

Vietnamese Spring rolls are a variation of the original Chinese rolls, however, they have a few key differences that distinguish them. The Vietnamese rolls typically have rice paper wrappers in contrast to the Chinese flour-based wrappers. The Vietnamese variation also typically contains shrimp, rice, lettuce, basil, mint leaves, etc. The Chinese rolls are deep-fried, while the Vietnamese versions are not. The two versions also taste dramatically different, their main similarity lies in the presentation of rolls.

Process

The first step in the process was to prepare the meat. I started by marinating the pork, but already an issue arose. The recipe instructed me to use shredded pork, but not knowing how to make this, I foolishly tried to cook the pork in a pan over the stove. This didn’t yield the results that I’d expected and ended up leaving the pork too tough to shred. Looking back, I should have allowed the pork to cook more slowly in a slow cooker. As I didn’t consider this, I ended up having to break the pork into small, tough pieces instead of shredding it into soft, stringy parts.

Next, I shredded the other vegetables. I used a mix of carrots, Wawa cabbage (the Mandarin word for baby is “wawa”, in reference to the cries of a baby), and bean sprouts. Then, I sauteed this medley of vegetables in oil and set it aside.

Once the pork and the vegetables were ready, I was ready to put together the Spring rolls. I filled the pale square-shaped wrappers with shredded vegetables and the pork and rolled them into cylinders. Separately, I prepared a “slurry” of sorts made from cornstarch and water that I used to seal the rolls. I used it as a sort of cornstarch glue and after rolling, I used it to seal the folded-down sides of the roll. I was prepared to make approximately twenty rolls, as advised by the recipe, however, the wrappers that I got may have been too big because I ended up only producing six!

Over the stove, I heated up a pan full of oil at the highest possible heat. Once the oil had produced small bubbles, I dropped the uncooked rolls inside the hot oil and let them fry for just a few minutes. Once they were fully fried, I quickly took them out of the hot oil and placed them on dry paper towels to allow some of the oil to be released from the rolls. Once all the rolls were deep-fried, I allowed them to sit in the simmering oil for an additional ten seconds for the color to fully develop and allow them to become more crunchy. Again, I allowed them to sit on a paper towel to rest so that all the oil would be fully absorbed.

Additionally, I made a sweet and spicy sauce to serve on the side. The process was fairly simple, I combined the ingredients over medium heat. Once they were combined, I mixed in a combination of cornstarch and water to create a thick paste.

Once it was the right consistency and was a bright orange color, I removed the sauce from heat and poured it into a bowl to be served with the rolls.

Taste

The extra ten seconds in the hot oil truly perfected the crunch of the Spring rolls. Combined with the sauce, the rolls were delicious, the ideal combination of sweet, salty, and spicy. Although you could taste all of the separate ingredients, they combined to complement each other really well. The pork was the perfect choice for meat because it left a slight sweetness on our tongues along with the sauce. Although there were only six rolls in total, leaving two for each of us, along with the other elements of the meal, it left us all satisfied.

SEA CUCUMBER

Origin

Sea cucumbers are often served during Lunar New Year as a delicacy. Although it is fairly common as of today, sea cucumbers used to be rare in Asian waters, making the price of sea cucumbers extremely high. Because of this, sea cucumbers were often only served during Lunar New Year as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Additionally, sea cucumbers have various health benefits, it is known for its high protein content, and its low fat and cholesterol percentages. The prickly sea cucumber is the most expensive and is often still sold at high prices and can be identified by its prickly exterior full of spines. However, the bald sea cucumber is much more common with its gray skin and thick shape. On their own, they have quite a mild taste and are typically paired with stronger flavors.

Process

To start, I began by soaking the sea cucumbers in water 48 hours before cooking. I used dried, bald sea cucumbers in my recipe. I changed the soaking water every 12 hours, four times in total. Once the sea cucumbers had been fully soaked, I cut up around a pound of the sea cucumbers into bite-sized pieces.

Next, I braised it in an aromatic mix of oil, soy sauce, and cooking wine, and allowed the pieces to cook. I quickly added chopped spring onions and ginger to the mix. Eventually I ended up incorporating Chinese vegetables in the mix as well.

Taste

The sea cucumbers were of unusual texture. Because I had decided to use bald sea cucumbers, they were plump and a little bumpy on the exterior. However, once I got used to the texture, it ended up being quite a pleasant meal. Cooked in a combination of the cooking wine, soy sauce, etc. it developed a slight flavor. Because sea cucumbers can lack flavor, I decided to serve them with some Chinese vegetables over rice.

CHINESE VEGETABLES

Bamboo shoots are pale yellow, cone-shaped shoots. They originate in southern China, especially near the south Yangtze River area, and are often served alongside vegetables or in salads. Bamboo is a symbol of nature and its relationship with humans along with elegance and modesty which are symbols of beauty in Asia. Bamboo has a rich history in China, because of its hard exterior, it was used for housing, weaponry, etc. China is known for its abundance of bamboo, which also feeds the giant pandas that are so popular in the country.

Black Chinese mushrooms are more often called by the name “shiitake mushrooms” or “black forest mushrooms”. They are native to East Asia and are common in Chinese cuisine. It has medicinal properties and is known to aid against immune diseases such as cancer, AIDS, the flu, colds, etc. It can be served raw in salads but is usually cooked until they have a tender texture. Because of their various health benefits, shiitake mushrooms symbolize health and longevity.

Process

The Chinese vegetables I decided to use were bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Unfortunately, we did not have Chinese black mushrooms the recipe called for in the house and ended up using wood ear mushrooms instead.

I started by cutting up the bamboo shoots and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, similar in size to the sea cucumbers pieces. Next, I cooked them with the sea cucumbers which were already cooking, and allowed them to develop an aromatic smell and the right texture before removing them from heat. While the vegetables cooked I prepared white rice on the side to serve with the vegetables.

Taste

The vegetables were an interesting flavor, the bamboo shoots were slightly sour, but still enjoyable and one of my favorite aspects of the meal and the wood ear mushrooms were great with all the other combined ingredients and had a soft texture that made the vegetables more enjoyable to eat. Overall, I really enjoyed the dish and the opportunity to make food from a different culture.

Along with the meal, I decided to evoke new beginnings by introducing some other traditions of the Lunar New Year. Starting with the decorations, I placed a bright red Chinese lantern above our dinner table (hooked to the chandelier). Then I put together a gold and red flower arrangement at the center of the table. For the serving dishes, I used red and gold coasters.