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For someone who took AP Chinese Language and Culture in high school, it’s remarkable how much Chinese language and culture I’ve forgotten in five years. But it’s also interesting to reflect on what stayed (such as the memory of me jokingly writing “I don’t like you” in Mandarin during a calligraphy course and a non-Mandarin-speaking photographer snapping a photo that ended up in a promotional magazine).
One of my favorite parts of taking Mandarin courses for six years was learning about the different traditions and celebrations in China and learning how each region’s cultures and cuisines differ from each other. And since the Lunar New Year is coming up on Feb. 10, I decided to give my memory a refresh and talk to Lingjia Xiu, a Ph.D. candidate in modern Chinese literature and media studies at Stanford University.
Dumplings (jiao zi) – northern China
One tradition commonly found in northern China is to eat dumplings (jiao zi) for the Lunar New Year, Xiu said. Jiao zi can have a variety of fillings (typically assorted meat and vegetables) and cooking methods, including boiled, steamed, pan fried or deep fried.
Word association often plays a role in traditions, and eating jiao zi is no exception – the word sounds like an expression meaning “transition from old to new.” Additionally, the shape of jiao zi is similar to the gold and silver ingots of ancient China, which is why eating jiao zi is thought to bring wealth in the new year.
Rice cakes (nian gao) – southern China
In southern China, it’s common to eat rice cakes (nian gao) for the Lunar New Year, Xiu said. Rice cakes are sticky and chewy and made of glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, and can also feature ingredients like taro, egg, coconut milk or sweetened red beans.
Again, word association explains the tradition. The word nian gao sounds like “higher year,” representing a better year to come.
“People eat rice cake because in Chinese, the cake carries the meaning of height, so if you eat cake, it means that in the new year, you will have good luck,” Xiu said.
Filled rice balls (tang yuan/yuan xiao) – Lantern Festival
On the 15th of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Lantern Festival, many people will eat filled rice balls, known as tang yuan in the south and yuan xiao in the north. These small, chewy spheres of rice dough are often a sweet treat filled with sweet red bean or sesame, but can also be savory with a meat filling.
“It means that everyone can stay together in this new year because yuan means round,” Xiu said.
Rice cake soup (ddeokguk) – Korea
In Korea, the Lunar New Year is often celebrated with a steaming bowl of thinly sliced rice cakes in broth, often with eggs, meat and sesame oil.
Nine dumpling soup (guthuk) – Tibet
Nine dumpling soup is commonly eaten in Tibet for the Lunar New Year. In Tibetan culture, odd numbers are lucky, particularly the number nine. When making guthuk, at least nine ingredients must be used for the soup.
A recommendation for a Lunar New Year feast – Koi Palace
For a Lunar New Year feast, Xiu recommends Koi Palace, a dim sum, seafood and tea house established in 1996 in Daly City with newer locations in Milpitas, Dublin, Cupertino and San Jose.
Koi Palace is a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award, which is given to “a restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality and operations while contributing positively to its broader community.” Koi Palace is the only restaurant along the Peninsula that made it to the semifinals of the 2024 James Beard awards.
For the Lunar New Year, Koi Palace has three special pre-set menus for groups of five and groups of 10. Steamed Shanghai pork dumplings, braised abalone with black moss, sun-dried oysters and conpoy (dried scallops), and golden egg custard buns are just some of the dishes you’ll find on these menus.
Koi Palace, 365 Gellert Blvd., Daly City; 650-992-9000, Instagram: @koipalace.
