With Christmas well and truly behind us, even the leftover ham and turkey are gone. But luckily for many, the excuse to feast for days comes again with the Lunar New Year festival, which lasts from 10 to 24 February this year.
During Lunar New Year, we eat fish because it signifies abundance (in Chinese, the word for 'fish' sounds like the word for 'surplus'). We also eat oranges and tangerines because they symbolise good fortune. But for me and many others, the most prized Lunar New Year food is a sticky cake called nian gao.
MAKE YOUR OWN
Lunar New Year nian gao
I've adored nian gao for as long as I can remember. I know I'm subjective, but I even think it's better than chocolate cake. However, if you thought this delicious sticky cake is only good when fresh out of the steamer, think again. Welcome to nian gao 2.0.
If you love anything deep-fried, and if you remember how deep-fried Oreos and Mars Bar took the world by storm, you might just be enthralled by a deep-fried nian gao.
If you thought this delicious sticky cake is only good when fresh out of the steamer, think again.
Nian gao, which sounds like the Chinese word for '', is a quintessential Lunar New Year dessert that's typically gifted to friends and family. So, if you can imagine, a single household can accumulate quite a lot of nian gao during this time. My family has a strong affection for nian gao (and anything with a mochi-like consistency) and my mum always makes at least a dozen of them in the month of January before Lunar New Year day. My mum's excuse is that she's perfecting her recipe, but we all know my lovely food-loving mother just wants to share the Lunar New Year love with her sisters and friends.
Mum's version made with red bean. Source: Michelle Tchea
However, like anything made with glutinous rice, this dish doesn't have a long shelf life. You could put a nian gao in the freezer, but no double-door fridge in Australia will hold the amount you receive during New Year festivities. Instead, mum (and her friends) deep-fry them.
WHY WE EAT NIAN GAO FOR NEW YEAR
This New Year cake is sticky, sweet and symbolises good luck
If you have a favourite batter recipe for fish and chips, it'll work for nian gao. However, mum adds an egg to make it a little richer. We're not looking for crunch; in fact, there's something enjoyable about eating a slightly soggy fried nian gao. Deep frying merely resurrects a dish that many consider the darling dish of Lunar New Year celebrations so feasters can continue celebrating well and truly past the actual New Year date.
Mum never needs an excuse to eat, especially not during Lunar New Year. I remember after our New Year's eve meal, we'd make dumplings when the clock struck midnight. Then we'd feast on deep-fried nian gao. It's an unofficial tradition between mum and I: she'd roll out the dumpling pastry with her dad's rolling pin and tell me stories about her childhood New Year memories and I'd fold and crimp our dumplings, taking bites of deep-fried nian gao in between batches.
Nian gao needs no argument as to why I think it's better than any other dessert and the ultimate Lunar New Year sweet when it's deep-fried.
