The Year of the Rabbit

[liuzhou]

Sunday (22nd January) will be Chinese New Year's Day and the start of the 15-day Spring Festival that it prompts. The city is closing down in preparation.

 

I was  chatting with a friend earlier and joked that I had ordered my rabbit for dinner, pretending that I thought the animals that lend their names to the years were what were traditionally eaten that year.

She pointed out that at least three of them can't be eaten.

 

The animals, in order are tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog, pig, rat and ox. I've marked the three she thought I couldn't eat in red. I replied that I have eaten 龙虾 (lóng xiā) which literally means 'dragon shrimp' and is lobster and I've often eaten 老虎菜 (lǎo hǔ cài), literally tiger salad as well as 虎皮青椒 (hǔ pí qīng jiāo), tiger skin peppers, so they count!

 

Dragon Shrimp and Chips

 

Tiger Salad

 

Tiger Skin Green Beans and Peppers

 

Rhesus Monkey

 

I have another four years to find a dish that includes the word monkey! There must be one.

新年快乐！

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

Since your dragon shrimp doesn't seem to be particularly Chinese in nature, if you get desperate enough, you could make yourself some monkey bread. 

[liuzhou]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Since your dragon shrimp doesn't seem to be particularly Chinese in nature, if you get desperate enough, you could make yourself some monkey bread. 

 

HA.

I've eaten a lot of lobster Chinese style. Just didn't have a picture. That one is the only one I've cooked in China, though.

[heidih]

And don't forget the cook off  

 

[dcarch]

Hoppy New Year to all!

 

dcarch 😶

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by dcarch (log)

[gfweb]

5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Sunday (22nd January) will be Chinese New Year's Day and the start of the 15-day Spring Festival that it prompts. The city is closing down in preparation.

 

I was  chatting with a friend earlier and joked that I had ordered my rabbit for dinner, pretending that I thought the animals that lend their names to the years were what were traditionally eaten that year.

She pointed out that at least three of them can't be eaten.

 

The animals, in order are tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog, pig, rat and ox. I've marked the three she thought I couldn't eat in red. I replied that I have eaten 龙虾 (lóng xiā) which literally means 'dragon shrimp' and is lobster and I've often eaten 老虎菜 (lǎo hǔ cài), literally tiger salad as well as 虎皮青椒 (hǔ pí qīng jiāo), tiger skin peppers, so they count!

 

Dragon Shrimp and Chips

 

Tiger Salad

 

Tiger Skin Green Beans and Peppers

 

Rhesus Monkey

 

I have another four years to find a dish that includes the word monkey! There must be one.

新年快乐！

 

monkey bread

[liuzhou]

3 hours ago, gfweb said:

monkey bread

 

Already mentioned.

 

But, it has to be Chinese

[Duvel]

9 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I have another four years to find a dish that includes the word monkey! There must be one.

Not a dish, but an ingredient … 

 

猴頭菇

[liuzhou]

29 minutes ago, Duvel said:

Not a dish, but an ingredient … 

 

猴頭菇

 

Yes, I thought of 猴头菇 but really need a dish. I've got a team of researchers working on it.

[liuzhou]

Monkey bread is only known here as the name of a tree, Adansonia digitata or the African Baobab.

[chromedome]

I hadn't made the connection to the lunar New Year, but my plans for the 22nd included harvesting our latest batch of young rabbits (2 or 3 of the current 15 will be kept back as potential breeders). I'll have a (small) chest freezer pretty full of rabbit by spring, so I expect that this will indeed be the Year of the Rabbit chez Chrome.

[liuzhou]

New Year Buns

 

 

[Anna N]

Happy New Year, @liuzhou 

[haresfur]

One of my coffee places along with many other businesses makes a donation to our lion teams to come around and bless the store for the New Year. Haven't seen them this year but a nice tradition. 

 

There are celebrations in the Dai Gum precinct and out at the Great Stupa but it looks like the Stupa is featuring Indian food.

 

I'll see if I can talk the cat into catching another rabbit.

[Amy D.]

We bumped into this lion in Sheffield today when we went to get ingredients for our new year's feast. Does anyone know why the shop assistant is showing the lion around with a leek?

[haresfur]

Hmm, here the lions eat heads of lettuce then spit it out into the onlookers

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, haresfur said:

Hmm, here the lions eat heads of lettuce then spit it out into the onlookers

 

That is traditional. Never heard of leeks being subbed though.

[liuzhou]

Wikipedia is unusually on point regarding this.

 

Quote

During the Chinese New Year, lion dance troupes will visit the houses and shops of the Asian community to perform the traditional custom of "cai qing" (採青), literally meaning "plucking the greens", whereby the lion plucks the auspicious green lettuce either hung on a pole or placed on a table in front of the premises. The "greens" (qing) is tied together with a "red envelope" containing money and may also include auspicious fruit like oranges. In Chinese cǎi (採, pluck) also sounds like cài (菜, meaning vegetable) and cái (财, meaning fortune). The "lion" will dance and approach the "green" and "red envelope" like a curious cat, to "eat the green" and "spit" it out but keep the "red envelope" which is the reward for the lion troupe. The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business.

 

[Anna N]

Anybody seen the price of lettuce?

[liuzhou]

¥2.5 / 250g  ($0.49 CAD)

 

😉

Edited January 23, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Amy D.]

Ah that explains why there was loads of greenery on the floor in front of the other supermarket. They had lots of greens for sale in this shop but no lettuce.

[haresfur]

Here are some photos of the blessing of the take-away, just up the street from my primary coffee place.

 

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

What is known in western countries as Chinese New Year is never called that in China. Instead it is called 春节 (chūn jié) or "Spring Festival". This lasts 15 day, starting on NewYear's Day and ending with the Lantern Festival. Each of the first ten days have some special significance as does the 15th.

 

The 5th day, Thursday was 破五 (pò wǔ) which is dedicated to the God Of Wealth on his birthday. This is the day to eat jiaozi (饺子) and observe some Taoist practices.

Here are some pictures from this year's po wu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Smithy]

8 hours ago, liuzhou said:

jiaozi (饺子

 

Are those the dumplings in the bottom photos? What are they filled with? What sauce would be used with them?

 

I love the costumes! You did a great job of capturing the energy of the dancers.

[Katie Meadow]

Fabulous fabulous fabulous!  I want dumplings AND one of those black and white stripy jobs that I could repurpose as loungewear after the celebration. So great!