Yesterday’s Treasures
Everyone enjoys Chinese New Year goodies, but not many people know about the simpler, humbler offerings of yesteryear.
By ANN PETERS.
If there’s an old lady in the house, she will remember what Chinese New Year treasure trays used to be like. They were not filled with the luscious goodies of today but simpler fare, influenced by climate and farming seasons in China.
We asked award winning Chinese Master Chef, Chan Kwok, of the Hua Ting Chinese restaurant in Orchard Hotel which is big on tradition to show us what they were. Chef Chan, who hails from Hong Kong filled a treasure tray with these old fashioned goodies and even made two traditional cakes to demonstrate.
Helped by Executive Chef, Eric Teo (who recently led a team of Singapore chefs to victory at an international competition) he explained that some basic offerings would have been melon seeds, peanut and sesame candy, small pink and white glutinous rice cakes, candied lotus root, winter melon or coconut strips, and the sweet sticky rice cake (nian gao) carrot cake (lor pak gao) and water chestnut cake (ma tau).
Sugar was a preservative then, and the sticky nian gao could be kept for a long time. The carrot was made with handy dried prawns, mushrooms and Chinese sausages, as markets were closed for the festivities.
Foods are still eaten because they are symbolic or have auspicious names such as gao or yu. Nothing bitter must pass the lips at New Year, only sweet words and sweet foods. The gold of the water chestnut cake symbolises success and its round shape, family unity. And melon seeds symbolise gold coins and therefore prosperity.
“The shells used to be thrown on the floor, so that when people walked over them, there was a crunching sound... a good thing, coupled with the din from the mahjong table and the bustle about the house. But nobody does that anymore,” says Chef Teo.
Or eat the same foods it would appear.
Here’s To Prosperity!
Mrs Yong Foong Ying, 68, is known for her Hakka abacus yam balls, which she makes faithfully for family and friends every Chinese New Year.
A widow with six children and 16 grandchildren, Mrs Yong has been making them every New Year for as long as she can remember. It’s a recipe handed down in the family and it’s meant to bring luck and prosperity to all who eat them.
She’s been cooking it from memory, having learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from hers. But now, for the first time, with the help of her daughters Phoebe and Ngiat Sim, she’s actually put together a recipe... which she shares here with Spring readers.
It’s a bit labour-intensive but in her home, many hands make light work, as everyone chips in to help... and eat!
