Comments on: Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/ Language, Culture and Kids Songs! Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:49:25 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Italian New Year’s Eve Tradition of Wearing Red Underpants for Good Luck - Mama Lisa's Blog http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-193902 Italian New Year’s Eve Tradition of Wearing Red Underpants for Good Luck - Mama Lisa's Blog Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:43:03 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-193902 [...] you’re interested in learning about other New Year’s traditions, you can read about Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years. Fell free to share your traditions with us in the comments [...] [...] you’re interested in learning about other New Year’s traditions, you can read about Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years. Fell free to share your traditions with us in the comments [...]

]]> By: lin http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-119405 lin Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:48:36 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-119405 Not only! As far as I remember, it's made with smoked tofu, chinese cabbage (or bok choy), Guozi (which is a Tianjin saying, equivalent of Youtiao in Beijing, meaning "Fried Sticks". It's made of flour), rice noodles, coriandre, bean curd, sesame oil, hua cai (which is what your friend hong kong's black sea moss, Fat Choy), black mushrooms and so on. As Emperor Liang Wu Di decided for all the Chinese monks that ginger, garlic and onion are not "Su", therefore stimulating or lustful, there shouldn't be these three things in the vegetarian dumplings. Some put omelettes in it. All cut into small pieces. Think of the colours (black, yellow, green, transparent, red...) That's something a poor and imaginative person can think of to compete with meaty ones, as he can't afford the latter. I've always admired the imagination of Chinese cuisine exactly because people have been so lack of highly nutritious "modern" food that they just had to be creative. And why not carrots and beans? Or whatever you think delicious and compatible? And who cares if we put some ginger or spring onion in it if we just want some more tastes? I know my family did and many did so, too. Just have some fun and be reasonable. Buddha won't mind. Happy Ratty New Year to all! Not only! As far as I remember, it’s made with smoked tofu, chinese cabbage (or bok choy), Guozi (which is a Tianjin saying, equivalent of Youtiao in Beijing, meaning “Fried Sticks”. It’s made of flour), rice noodles, coriandre, bean curd, sesame oil, hua cai (which is what your friend hong kong’s black sea moss, Fat Choy), black mushrooms and so on. As Emperor Liang Wu Di decided for all the Chinese monks that ginger, garlic and onion are not “Su”, therefore stimulating or lustful, there shouldn’t be these three things in the vegetarian dumplings. Some put omelettes in it. All cut into small pieces. Think of the colours (black, yellow, green, transparent, red…) That’s something a poor and imaginative person can think of to compete with meaty ones, as he can’t afford the latter. I’ve always admired the imagination of Chinese cuisine exactly because people have been so lack of highly nutritious “modern” food that they just had to be creative.

And why not carrots and beans? Or whatever you think delicious and compatible? And who cares if we put some ginger or spring onion in it if we just want some more tastes? I know my family did and many did so, too. Just have some fun and be reasonable. Buddha won’t mind.

Happy Ratty New Year to all!

]]> By: Lisa http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-118133 Lisa Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:18:10 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-118133 That's very interesting. Are they made with any specific ingredients like tofu or bok choy? That’s very interesting. Are they made with any specific ingredients like tofu or bok choy?

]]> By: lin http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-118129 lin Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:01:35 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-118129 As Chinese New Year is coming ( next week), there's something interesting to note here about New Year's food. In Tianjin, China, people will make vegetarian dumplings apart from the meat ones for the New Year's Eve and they are about to eat the vegetarian ones especially at midnight, usually with the fireworks outside the windows. The vegetarian dumplings signify a coming year which is very clean, with no accidents, no serious affairs, etc. "Su", as vegetarian, implies something simple, calm. The contrary will be "Se" as Colour/Lust, or "Rou" as Meat/flesh/therefore lust. Quite interestingly, in other parts of China this habit is not often observed. Not even in Beijing, it seems to me, though just 120 kms away. As Chinese New Year is coming ( next week), there’s something interesting to note here about New Year’s food. In Tianjin, China, people will make vegetarian dumplings apart from the meat ones for the New Year’s Eve and they are about to eat the vegetarian ones especially at midnight, usually with the fireworks outside the windows. The vegetarian dumplings signify a coming year which is very clean, with no accidents, no serious affairs, etc. “Su”, as vegetarian, implies something simple, calm. The contrary will be “Se” as Colour/Lust, or “Rou” as Meat/flesh/therefore lust.
Quite interestingly, in other parts of China this habit is not often observed. Not even in Beijing, it seems to me, though just 120 kms away.

]]> By: Lisa http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-110204 Lisa Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:49:36 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-110204 That sounds yummy! I'd love to try one of your recipes! That sounds yummy! I’d love to try one of your recipes!

]]> By: Linda Austin http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-110055 Linda Austin Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:44:21 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-110055 In Japan, mochi rice "cakes" are also eaten for New Year's. I am half Japanese and here in America my little family has been fortunate to have always been able to find mochi to cook, baked or in soup, for New Year's good luck. The very gooey mochi stretches like rubber when bitten into, the long strings symbolic of long life. In Japan, mochi rice “cakes” are also eaten for New Year’s. I am half Japanese and here in America my little family has been fortunate to have always been able to find mochi to cook, baked or in soup, for New Year’s good luck. The very gooey mochi stretches like rubber when bitten into, the long strings symbolic of long life.

]]> By: bratneyspears.com http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/symbolic-foods-eaten-around-the-world-for-new-years/comment-page-1/#comment-110028 bratneyspears.com Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:51:07 +0000 http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/?p=626#comment-110028 very nice mama, yum yum, thanks for all the great food info very nice mama, yum yum, thanks for all the great food info

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