Their name comes from their shape which resembles the pierced disks on a Chinese abacus, an ancient, low-tech adding machine. In Singapore I encounter Taro Abacus Beads. Taro Abacus Beads ( wu tiuh pan jue, page 125) It’s a healthy and energizing way to start the new year. Pour a tea, made from pounding fresh green herbs, dry tea leaves, nuts, and seeds, over the rice and mix together for deliciously wholesome rice bowl. A bevy of vegetables, tofu, and peanuts blanket a bowl of garlic rice. I first tasted this healthy rice bowl in Singapore and later Amy Wong from Malaysia shared her recipe with me. This version includes rice and a pounded herbaceous tea. Savory Pounded Tea Rice ( lui cha fan, page 119)Ī heartier variation of vegetable tea is made by the Ho Po clan, a Hakka subgroup who serve it for Chinese New Year. She pours a clear broth carefully over the vegetables and garnishes with spoonful of ground peanuts and sesame seeds. ![]() Each vegetable contributes a different flavor and texture. Eight is a lucky number and represents good fortune. She arranges eight different stir-fried greens in each bowl to create a pretty kaleidoscope of greens. Vegetable Tea ( choi cha, page 113)ĭuring the first ten days of Chinese New Year Loy Sye Moi makes Vegetable Tea (page 113) which is basically an artfully presented healthy vegetable soup. Guests gather around the basin and literally eat from top to down, working their way through the courses. This one-pan feast is popular for family gatherings such as Chinese New Years and weddings because everyone eats from one dish which symbolizes unity. We were at Chung Shing Restaurant in In Tai Po, New Territories of Hong Kong, The pan was literally a wash basin layered with a multicourse feast. ![]() We gasped when the waitress set a huge metal basin filled with a mountain of food before us. However, if you want to try something new, consider these special dishes I discovered in my travels for the cookbook. You will find many recipes that use symbolic ingredients throughout The Hakka Cookbook. Green vegetables represent close family ties. Whole chickens with head, tail, and feet indicate completeness. Shiitake mushrooms, a symbol of longevity, also relate to seizing opportunities. Spring rolls, with their shape of a gold bar, represents wealth. Oranges, mandarins, and kumquats resemble gold. Many will eat traditional meals filled with foods that sound like fortuitous words or whose shape or color symbolizes prosperity, unity, wealth, fertility, family harmony, or good fortune. ![]() Khiung Hee Fat Choy! (Hakka dialect) May you have a prosperous New Year! Chinese New Year arrives January 31 and families will gather for a special meal over the next two weeks.
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