Happy Chinese New Year! Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a Chinese New Year Feast. Greet everyone with “Happy New Year” (Xīnnián kuàilè in Mandarin 新年快乐) or “Wishing you happiness and prosperity!” (Khiung Hee Fat Choy in Hakka or Gong Hay Fat Choy in Cantonese 恭禧發財).
In 2026, February 17 marks the start of the Year of the Horse. On the Chinese horoscope, each year is dominated by an animal sign: Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has special characteristics. If you were born in the year of 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, and 1942, you are are a horse.
Some horoscopes describe people born in the year of the horse to be confident, intelligent, responsible, and stubborn. They like to be physically active and mentally challenged. Some forecasts for the horse show this may be a powerful year for growth and transformation. Balance your fire with calmness to make the most of this energy.
A family reunion feast starts the Chinese New Year celebration. Our family meal tends to be a cooperative effort with everyone sharing a dish. I’m scanning The Hakka Cookbook looking for recipes for our feast.
The table is traditionally filled with foods that send auspicious messages to attract wealth, luck, success, unity, longevity. Many foods eaten during the celebration have symbolic meanings. They may resemble or their words sounds like something that is auspicious.
Spicy Egg Rolls resemble gold bars.Open clams represent new opportunities.Green vegetables suggest growth in business.Noodles symbolize long life.Round-shaped foods represent unity.
Egg or spring rolls look like gold bars. Consider the Spicy Egg Rolls (page 184) or the Hakka Egg Roll page 170).
Open clams represent new opportunities. Perhaps I might cook Chile-spiced Clams with Basil and Cilantro (page 231).
Green vegetables suggest growth in business. Some options include Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230), Stir-fried Chinese Lettuce and Wine Rice (page 50), Stir-fried Iceberg Lettuce and Garlic (page 27), Stir-Fried Snow Peas and Tofu (page 48), or Stir-fried Spinach and Peanuts (page 56).
Noodles symbolize long life. Choose from Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (page 193), Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104), Soy-glazed Pork and Mushroom Noodles (page 208), or Sweet Soy Chow Mein (page 178).
Round shaped foods represent unity. A Pork and Shrimp Ball Soup (page 213), Spinach and Fish Ball Soup (page 225), or Ginger Soup with Sweet Rice Balls (page 116) can bring the family together.
What will you eat for your Chinese New Year Feast? As long as you share food with family or friends, you start the year with good will and hope. Happy Year of the Horse! May it be full of joy, good health, prosperity, and peace!
Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! 恭禧發財 Gong Hay Fat Choy! On January 29, 2025, we welcome the start of the Lunar New Year of the Snake. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a feast. Gather family and friends around the table filled with foods that symbolize auspicious messages: wealth, luck, success, unity, growth, and longevity.
As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I look through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our family meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier and more fun to share the cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new.
For my grandchildren, who are now teenagers, I like to include one cooking activity. In the past, we made won tons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu. It’s a Hakka classic and not too difficult. The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in their former home in northern China.
There are many variations of Stuffed Tofu (釀 豆 腐 Hakka: nyiong tiu fu; Mandarin: niang dou fu). In the basic Hakka version, the filling starts with ground pork. When the Hakka migrated to coastal areas, they might add shrimp or salted fish, or fresh fish paste. The seasonings vary depending on the cook. Common ones include garlic, ginger, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, dried tangerine peel, and dried mushrooms. This versatile filling can also be used to fill vegetables such as eggplant, chilies, mushrooms, or bitter melons.
The tofu may be cut in different ways. For the simplest way, cut the tofu into thick squares or rectangles. Then dig out a shallow cavity in the center to hold the filling. Or if you’re dexterous, cut the tofu in thick triangles, then carve a slot-like pocket into the long side to cradle the filling (as pictured at left.)
The stuffed tofu can be cooked in different ways: steamed, pan-browned and braised, poached, and deep-fried. Look for different variations: Uncle Henry’s Tofu Triangles (recipe on page 31), Natalie Com Liu’s Tofu Topped with Pork (pictured below, recipe on page 33), Braised Fried Tofu with Pork (page 76), Fah’s Stuffed Tofu Triangles (page 215), and Stuffed Tofu Soup (page 216.)
To add more luck to the meal, we’ll probably add some green vegetables for growth such as the Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230 ), Stir-fried Chinese Lettuce and Wine Rice (page 50), Lettuce with Garlic and Black Beans (pictured below, page 57), or Iceberg Lettuce with Garlic (page 27).
Noodles represent long life. Choose from the dark, umami-rich Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104), the lighter Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (pictured below, page 193), or the dark Sweet Soy Chow Mein (page 178). Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like the Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39) or the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137).
Possibly we may cook the famous Hakka Salt-baked Chicken (page 64) or the easier Salt-Poached Chicken (page 226). Or maybe we’ll buy a Chinese roast duck.
For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. Khiung Hee Fat Choy 恭禧發財! Happy New Year!!
Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! In 2024, the Year of the Dragon begins on February 10. Welcome in the lunar new year with a family feast.
Chinese New Year is a time of renewal, a time for fresh starts. To ensure a promising outcome, feature symbolic foods with auspicious messages such as wealth, longevity, luck, and prosperity on your holiday table. Add family favorites to supplement your feast.
I like to involve everyone in the menu planning and preparation. It’s a big meal for one person to cook. So I invite people to contribute a favorite dish. I often look at The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I may make the Hakka Egg Roll (page 170) which sort of resemble gold bars.
Wrap a thin egg crepe around a pork filling jelly roll style to make Hakka Egg Roll
Someone will bring noodles for long life. Perhaps the Garlic Noodles with Shrimp (page 193) which is similar to lo mein or chow mein. Or the dark Sweet Soy Chow Mein (page 178). Another option might be the savory Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104).
Hakka Noodles with Pork and Mushroom Sauce
Green symbolizes growth in business. Perhaps the simple Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230), Stir-Fried Chinese Lettuce and Wine Rice (page 50), or Stir-Fried Water Spinach and Charred Red Chiles (page 71). A colorful combo would be the Ginger-Scented Squash, Peas, and Lily Bulbs (page 52). Perhaps the green pea pods might symbolize the growth of green dollars and the squash could represent gold coins.
Fish brings abundance to the new year. We often cook Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39). Although the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137) might be a delicious alternative this year.
We often supplement with a Chinese roast duck. Or we may make the Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken (page 64) or the simpler Salt-Poached Chicken (page 226).
May your year be filled with joy, prosperity, and peace. Happy New Year! ! Khiung Hee Fat Choy!
Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! It’s a time of renewal and feasting. In 2023, January 22, marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit. You are a rabbit if you were born in 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, and 2023. On the Chinese horoscope, each year is dominated by an animal sign: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has special characteristics. This year looks generally positive and favorable for Rabbits, especially in the first quarter. There could be some challenges later in the year.
A family reunion feast is central to the Chinese New Year celebration. The table is traditionally filled with foods that send auspicious messages to attract wealth, luck, success, unity, and longevity.
As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I’m looking through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier to share cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new. For my grandchildren, I try to include one cooking activity. In the past, we have made won tons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu (pages 31, 33), sort of a Hakka version of dumplings. The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in the former home in northern China.
Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce
Noodles represent long life. I like the dark, umami-rich flavor of Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104). Or perhaps we’ll cook Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (page 193), sort of a Hakka-style Chow Mein.
Steamed Fish with Green Onions
Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like the Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39) or the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137). Steaming or braising keeps the delicate flesh moist and is so easy. A green vegetable represents growth in business. I love the simplicity of the stir-fried Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230).
Hakka Egg Roll
Egg or spring rolls look like gold bars, signifying wealth. We could make Spicy Egg Rolls (page184) or the Hakka Egg Rolls (page 170).
Braised Chicken Stuffed with Preserved Mustard Greens
Possibly we may cook the famous Hakka Salt-baked Chicken (page 64) or some of the easier variations. For a special dish, consider making the Braised Chicken stuffed with Preserved Mustard Greens (page 233). Or maybe we’ll buy a Chinese roast duck.
For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. Khiung Hee Fat Choy! Happy New Year!
Fresh arrowhead and dark strips of Chinese bacon simmer together to make a fragrant, dark stew.
Khiung Hee Fat Choy! Happy Year of the Ox! For our Chinese New Year’s family feast, I cooked Five-Spice Potatoes and Chinese Bacon from The Hakka Cookbook. This Chinese potato stew comes from childhood memories of Popo, my grandmother and a master forager and cook.
Long ago on a drive through the flat rice fields near Oroville, California, Popo suddenly shouted to my father to stop the car. She had seen a stand of plants growing in an irrigation ditch along the road. Sensing wild potatoes grew underneath, she directed us to plunge our hands through the cold water into the muddy silt. We found plump bulbs attached to the stems and pulled them out.
That night Popo cooked the wild potatoes, better known as arrowhead (ci gu), with Chinese bacon to make a dark fragrant stew. The sweet spicy perfume of five-spice powder and smoky bacon filled the kitchen and our memories of that day.
Five-Spice Potatoes and Chinese Bacon
That was the only time I remember Popo using arrowhead for the Chinese potato stew. Often, she simply substituted thin-skinned potatoes from the supermarket. Look for arrowhead in Asian markets. Make sure the bulbs are firm and fresh. Or use potatoes as my grandmother did. Chinese bacon, dried soy sauce and five-spice marinated strips of pork belly, also contribute to the dark, fragrance of the stew. You’ll also find the dried smoked pork belly in Asian markets.
Her stew was relatively easy to cook. Simply slice the bacon, lightly brown, and add garlic and ginger. Add water, a little dark soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder and simmer, covered, until the bacon is almost tender. Then add peeled and sliced arrowhead and cover and simmer until tender. Serve with hot rice and enjoy.
For a detailed recipe, see page 19 of The Hakka Cookbook.
Puhn choi at Chung Shing Restaurant in In Tai Po, New Territories of Hong Kong in 2005
A Chinese banquet in a wash basin? We gasped when the waitress set a huge metal pan filled with a mountain of food before us. The pan, literally a wash basin, held a layered multi-course feast known as basin feast (puhn choi, pen cai,poon choi). It’s a popular choice for family gatherings such as Chinese New Years, weddings, and family reunions because everyone eats from one dish which symbolizes unity. Guests gather around the basin and literally eat from the top to the bottom, working their way through the different courses.
This specialty comes from the New Territories of Hong Kong where many Hakka live. One story about the origin of puhn choi suggests that when Emperor Bing of Song moved south in the late Sung period, his large entourage overwhelmed the small villages. Inventive villagers simply didn’t have enough dishes to feed the large group so they piled the food in the biggest containers they had–wash basins.
Basin Feast (puhn choi) from The Hakka Cookbook, page 84
Centuries later, the basin feast has morphed into a popular celebration dish in Hong Kong. Now, this one-pan Chinese banquet finds it way to San Francisco. This recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle lists several local restaurants that offer puhn choi for take-out for Chinese New Year. Because a multi-course feast comes layered in one big pan, it works well for a portable take-out Chinese banquet for a family. Restaurants go upscale, serving up expensive ingredients for these special occasion feasts. Or if you like, make this humbler, make-ahead home-style version featured in The Hakka Cookbook, page 84.
Plan your menu for the symbol-laden Chinese New Year feast now. The lunar new year is fast approaching.
In 2020, January 25 marks the beginning of the Chinese year 4717. The celebration marks a time of renewal, marked by food, traditions, and festivities. On the Chinese horoscope, each year is dominated by an animal sign: Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has special characteristics. This is the year of the rat.
A family reunion feast highlights the New Year celebration. The table is traditionally filled with foods that send auspicious messages to attract wealth, luck, success, unity, longevity. As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I’m looking through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier to share cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new.
For my grandchildren, I try to include one cooking activity. In the past, we have made wontons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu (pages 31, 33). The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in their former home in northern China. Instead of putting the meat filling in a wheat flour wrapper, they stuffed the filling into chunks of tofu.
Noodles represent long life. I like the dark, umami-rich flavor of Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104). Or perhaps we’ll cook Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (page 193), sort of a Hakka-style Chow Mein.
Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39). Steaming keeps the delicate flesh moist and is so easy.
A green vegetable represents growth in business. I love the simplicity of the stir-fried Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230).
Possibly we may cook the famous Hakka Salt-baked Chicken (page 64) or some of the easier variations or maybe we’ll buy a Chinese roast duck. What’s on your menu?
Chinese New Year: Foods and Traditions: Tonight, Monday, February 4, 2019, I will be giving a talk/slide show/ cooking demo at the Menlo Park Library. I will also include an introduction about Hakka history and cuisine. Please join me tonight. Bring your friends.
Welcome to the Year of the Pig! Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! ????!
Join me as we usher in the lunar new year on Monday night, February 4 at the Menlo Park Library. Through photos and food, I will share Chinese New Year foods and traditions. Also learn about my history and the story of China’s guest families known as the Hakka. Cooking demo and tastings included.
Chinese celebrate this period of renewal for 15 days with family reunions, festive banquets, symbolic decorations, red envelopes filled with money, and good wishes. Come and explore this joyful time. I look forward to seeing you. Bring your copy of The Hakka Cookbook for signing. A few copies will be available for purchase.
Chinese New Year: Foods and Traditions: Tonight, Monday, February 4, 2019, I will be giving a talk/slide show/ cooking demo at the Menlo Park Library. I will also include an introduction about Hakka history and cuisine. Please join me tonight. Bring your friends.