The Year of the Rooster

Image from Google Doodle

Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the year of the Fire Rooster!

The Year of the Monkey

Image from Google doodle 

Happy Chinese New Year! This is the year of the Fire Monkey.

In the Chinese Lunar calendar, each year is represented by an animal in a 12-year cycle and one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. 

The Year of the Dragon

Happy Chinese Dragon New Year!

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year. According to Chinese calendar and Zodiac, this is the Dragon year.

                                       
                                       

When Christmas comes, one will have the Christmas tree. For Chinese New Year, one will have the pussy willow. It's a popular plant for Chinese New Year. Just like Christmas tree, you can decorate it with various decorative items. It's very popular during Chinese New Year. My mom bought these from IKEA. (Yes, from a Swedish company who probably does not sell it in its own country).

This is the fluffy furry bud. When you touch it, it feels soft and er, fluffy.

                                       

My mom added the fake flower to the tip of the branches.

                                     

 Wishing everyone a prosperous year! Gong Xi Fa Chai! 

CNY Food - Yee Sang

Eating Yee Sang is a tradition during Chinese New Year in Malaysia  It is basically a raw fish salad (usually come in slices of salmon). Vegetarian version is also available to catered to those who follow a vegan diet.

The fun of eating Yee Sang is tossing all the ingredient together as seen in the photo. Chinese loves symbolism. Yee meant fish in Chinese and it sounds like 'abundance', hence the higher you tossed, the better as the act of tossing (lou sang) symbolises increased prosperity. 

As far as I know, this dish is invented in Malaysia, but then Wikipedia said it's from Singapore, so I can't confirm on that. Yee Sang and Lou Sang are popular among the Chinese from South East Asia. 

Yee Sang is my favourite dish during Chinese New Year. The photo above was taken at a dinner with my cousins. It's the fifth lou sang I have for this year - 3 Yee Sang few days before the Chinese New Year and 1 during the reunion dinner. I'm sure there will be more to come because Chinese New Year officially lasted for 15 days. 

Wishing everyone prosperity, happiness and good health always! Happy Rabbit Year!

CNY Food - Lap Ngap

You know it's Chinese New Year time when you see lap ngap (waxed duck)! It is a delicacy available and eaten during the Lunar New Year. Made by preserving a flattened, deboned duck in salt, spices and fat, it's extremely salty and leathery.

Lap ngap pei (wax duck's thigh) is the one on the right. On the left is lap cheong (chinese sausage) which is available all year round.

These meats are usually cook by steaming. But before that, soak the lap cheong in hot water to loosen the skin so that it's easy to peel it off.

In Lap mei fan, the meats are cook together with the rice in the cooker. The oil/fat from the meats give flavour to the rice. It's oily and definitely not healthy but taste so good!