Lunar New Year is an incredibly vibrant cultural event, steeped in symbolism and tradition. It’s also full of some of the most exciting foods in the world.
Food traditions
Lunar New Year celebrations hold a huge amount of cultural importance, so the Jamie Magazine team, along with a few of the UK’s leading Chinese chefs, travelled to China to learn more about these fascinating stories and traditions. From classic recipes to the role of food in ancient rituals – some of which have been honoured for more than 2,000 years – you can read all about their discoveries here.
Dim sum
Dim sum – the name given to a number of bite-sized foods in Chinese cuisine– plays an important role all year round. The world of dim sum is a delightful and utterly delicious one, and with the help of one of London’s foremost food enthusiasts, we’ve put together everything you need to know about these little bundles of joy.
You’ll find recipes for a couple of different dim sum below, and step-by-step guides on how to make and fold your own wontons or dumplings.
Recipes for the celebrations
As far as recipes for the event itself go, we can help there, too. Lunar New Year celebrations go on for 15 days, so there’s plenty of time to make the wonderful recipes below. Try something new, be it a basketful of steamed dumplings shaped like bunnies or a mouthwatering rack of ribs slathered in a sweet, sticky glaze.
Spring rolls
Pork & cabbage potstickers
Hot & sour soup
Vegan Chinese noodles
Kung Pao chicken
Prawn & crab wontons
Szechuan sweet & sour prawns
For more Lunar New Year ideas, take a peek at the rest of our fantastic Chinese recipes.
