Have another go at New Year!
CHINESE NEW Year falls on Sunday February 18, and welcomes in the Year of the Boar.
With Oriental flavours finding their way into an increasingly diverse range of pub menus, more pubs than ever will be looking to add a touch of Chinese-style sparkle into an otherwise drab, dark and cold February.
Within the Chinese culture, decorations and food are deeply meaningful - so understanding the symbolism and mysteries surrounding the celebrations adds to the fun.
No Chinese New Year is complete without colourful decorations. Red symbolises happiness while gold is for wealth and, traditionally, Chinese people will even paint their front doors red at this time of year for a year of happiness to follow.
Given the importance of food in Chinese culture, it is not surprising it plays a major role in Chinese New Year. 'Lucky' foods are served through the two week celebrations, also called the spring festival.
"Probably more food is consumed during traditional Chinese New Year celebrations than at any other time of the year," says celebrity chef Ken Hom, who has developed the menu at Soho bar Suzie Wong. "Vast amounts of traditional food are prepared for family and friends."
The symbolic significance of food is sometimes based on appearance. Chicken must be served whole, as this symbolises family. Noodles represent long life and superstition says it's bad luck to cut them. Clams and spring rolls both symbolise wealth.
Other food may have special significance because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds. The Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like 'rising fortune', so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other 'lucky' ingredients. Tangerines and oranges are passed out freely during Chinese New Year as the words for tangerine and orange sound like 'luck' and 'wealth', respectively. Sweet, steamed cakes have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolises a rich, sweet life, the layers mean rising abundance for the coming year and the round shape signifies family reunion.
Confused? For pubs looking for Chinese flavours without a crash course in cultural significance, there are an increasing number of specialist suppliers targeting the pub trade.
Last year saw the Authentic Food Company launch a range of Oriental snacks including ribs, sweet and sour chicken balls, and Cantonese style crispy shredded chicken.
Robert Gong, development chef at the Authentic Food Company, says: "The products have been created to demonstrate truly authentic flavours from the Orient by using only the highest quality ingredients. Today's well-travelled consumers are constantly looking for innovative and exotic foods that deliver on taste and quality."
One of the best known names in the Oriental market, Sharwood's, has also added to its product range. There are seven noodle sauces including fruity kung po, singapore satay and sweet chilli and garlic, and six tasty ready-to-use sauces including sweet and sour, honey and ginger, and black bean.
Sharwood's also offers a complete range of accompaniments, including egg noodles, prawn crackers, soy sauce, sesame oil, yellow bean stir-fry sauce and plum and sweet chilli sauce.
Special Offer
Eight out of 10 Chinese chefs choose use Amoy sauce from Heinz to create genuine flavours.
To help celebrate Chinese New Year, Heinz Foodservice is giving away 10 exclusive Amoy kits containing four varieties of soy sauce (dark, light, reduced salt and chilli), noodles, oils and cooking sauces as well as the book Cooking with Chinese Herbs by Terry Tan.
To enter: Call 0800 575755 or e-mail suzi@proactivecommunications.co.uk
Authentic Food Company: www.theauthenticfoodcompany.com
Amoy: www.heinzfoodservice.co.uk
Sharwoods: www.rhmfoodservice.co.uk
