From one New Year to the next…Chinese New Year!
With one of the largest Chinese communities outside of China, the island of Penang is already awash in flashy red, one week before the new moon that marks the beginning of the 15-day Spring Festival. Red lanterns strung above the streets; red shirts and dresses displayed in shop windows; red couplets and red paper-cuts adorning homes.
Not just the color of the New Year, but the sounds. The drums and cymbals accompanying lion dance troupes as they perform in businesses and homes, bringing luck and wealth for the New Year. The blaring and thumping of Chinese New Year songs as shoppers fill their carts with boxes of mandarin oranges and cases of Jolly Shandy and Tiger Beer. The crackling and booming at night of illegal firecrackers and fireworks.
This year is special. This is the
Year of the Dragon.
To celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Dragon – an auspicious year of success and happiness - we will be introducing a series of Chinese dishes over the next month for you to try. Some are traditional, some fusion, but each with flavors and elements of Chinese culture.
Let’s get started! Try one of these excellent recipes:
