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Foodie Obsessed

Chinese New Year: 2008 The Year of the Rat

by Tracey Thompson on February 5th, 2008

500px-ratsvg1.png

 It seems like November and December are “The Big Holiday” time, but now that I take a look at February, it seems that at every turn there is another reason to celebrate.  Pity.

We just celebrated Mardi Gras, Superbowl XLII, Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and in two days many will ring in the New Year…the Chinese New Year.

Thursday, February 7th is New Year’s Day according to the Chinese calendar and the celebration runs for 14 days.  The New Year begins the first day of the Lunar Month and the exact dates change each year.

2008 is the Year of the Rat.  The Rat is the first zodiac in Chinese Astrology.  You are a Rat Sign if you were born during the following dates:

  • 24 January 1936 - 10 February 1937: Fire Rat
  • 10 February 1948 - 28 January 1949: Earth Rat
  • 28 January 1960 - 14 February 1961: Metal Rat
  • 15 February 1972 - 2 February 1973: Water Rat
  • 2 February 1984 - 19 February 1985: Wood Rat
  • 19 February 1996 - 6 February 1997: Fire Rat
  • 7 February 2008 - 25 January 2009: Earth Rat
  • 25 January 2020 - 11 February 2021: Metal Rat
  • 11 February 2032 - 30 January 2033: Water Rat
  • 30 January 2044 - 16 February 2045: Wood Rat
  • 15 February 2056 - 3 February 2057: Fire Rat
  • 3 February 2068 - 22 January 2069: Earth Rat
  • 22 January 2080 - 8 February 2081: Metal Rat
  • 7 February 2092 - 26 January 2093: Water Rat

The above signs include the corresponding element sign.  According the Wikipedia The Rat is a leader, pioneer and conqueror with a weakness for self-promotion and life’s indulgences.

So what to have for dinner?  New Year’s Eve is when the big food celebration seems to occur, but for those of us who aren’t purists you could have a traditional meal anytime during the the 14 days.

The food is all symbolic of good luck, health and monetary gain for the upcoming year:  Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things. 

Food items

Name Description

Buddha’s delight
(traditional Chinese: 羅漢齋; simplified Chinese: 罗汉斋; pinyin: luóhàn zhāi)

An elaborate vegetarian dish served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced “fat choy” in Cantonese, is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like “prosperity”. Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk (Chinese: 扣肉; pinyin: kòuròu) and ngiong tiu fu.

Fish

Is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of fish (魚yú) makes it a homophone for “surpluses”(餘yú).

Jau gok (Chinese: 油角)

The main Chinese new year dumpling. It is believed to resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots (simplified Chinese: 金元宝; traditional Chinese: 金元寶; pinyin: jīn yuán bǎo)

Jiaozi dumplings

Eaten traditionally in northern China because the preparation is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten.

Mandarin oranges

Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year — jin ju (Chinese: 金橘子; pinyin: jīn júzi) translation: golden tangerine/orange or kam (Chinese: 柑; pinyin: gum) in Cantonese.

Melon seed/Kwatji
(Chinese: 瓜子; pinyin: gwāzi)

Other variations include sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Nian gao (Chinese: 年糕)

Most popular in eastern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) because its pronunciation is a homophone for “a more prosperous year”.

Noodles

Families may serve uncut noodles, which represent longevity and long life, though this practice is not limited to the new year.

Sweets

Sweets and similar dried fruit goods are stored in a red or black Chinese candy box.

Taro cakes

Tikoy

Known as Chinese New Year pudding, tikoy is made up of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. The colour of the sugar used determines the colour of the pudding (white or brown).

Epicurious has a full menu including Cantonese Style Steamed Sea Bass and Lo Mein with Beef.  Rhonda Parkinson of About.com also has a long list of Chinese foods to try.  Oh, and don’t forget to wear something red and hand-out a lot of those Red Envelopes.

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POSTED IN: Entertaining, Misc. Foodie Stuff, Recipes

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