In China, Lunar New Year marks the new year on the Chinese Lunar calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival.
My family's tradition was to get together with extended family, the night before Lunar New Year, and have a grand feast. The dishes my mom made varied each time, but there was one dish that was consistent every time, and that was the... Yung Suk.
Yung Suk is a Chinese Lettuce Wrap. There are different variations amongst cultures.
The way the Chinese eat it is by placing the filling in the lettuce wrap, and dipping it in hoisin sauce, and eating it like a taco. The filling is typically made with with pork, onions, scallions, sliced carrots, and sliced mushrooms. My mom added vermicelli noodles to the filling, which made the dish more voluminous.
I'm not sure why she served this every year, but I assume it is because it contains noodles, which to the Chinese, stand for "long life."
To be honest, I didn't grow up with the other tradition items that may be served at a Lunar New Year dinner. Most of the items below, I'm not too familiar with, as they weren't part of my family's tradition.
So, if your family includes these dishes above, I'd love to hear what is your favorite and why. Or, if you have a nearby Chinese restaurant, I'd love to hear what you ordered.
This year my sister took over the cooking, and made a plethora of dishes - all which look on par of what you'll find at a restaurant. Being so far away from home, the picture she sent me made me a little homesick. It also made me reminisce on past Lunar New Year meals that I had, how I wish I paid more attention to the traditions, rather than running off to play video games after dinner.
Now that I am an adult, I am more appreciative of the traditions that is practiced during this time. I think we not only continue to practice this tradition to preserve our culture, but to preserve the memories we've had with family.
So tomorrow, I plan to grab some Chinese food from the best Chinese restaurant in town, and video chat with my family, and wish them a "Xin Nian Kuai Le" and "Gong Hei Fat Choy".
Happy New Year, and Red Envelopes for everyone!