Cooking for the Holidays
Food is an essential component of any Chinese holiday celebration. Simply put, the Chinese love to eat and holidays provide the perfect excuse to serve delicious dishes that carry rich symbolism and convey a spirit of happiness, abundance and prosperity.
The goal of this recipe collection is to help you prepare authentic Chinese festival foods in a regular home kitchen. Once you've planned your menu, use the step-by-step tutorial included with each recipe to prepare your feast. Note that recipes marked "Good for Beginners" are great options for first-time chefs, while those marked "Easy Ingredients" won't require a trip to a Chinese market.
Many Chinese festival foods can perform double duty. A whole white cut chicken, for instance, is a traditional part of a Chinese New Year reunion meal, but also makes an excellent Sunday night dinner. Once you get comfortable, don't hesitate to use this recipe collection year round!
Appetizers
How To Make Roast Pork
Cooking roast pork is incredibly rewarding and much easier outside China, where a hot oven can easily overheat a small apartment kitchen. Read More »
How To Make Rice Dumplings (Zongzi or Joong)
Rice dumplings are parcels of glutinous rice stuffed with different savory or sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Read More »
How To Make Drunken Chicken
If you think that there's nothing that says "home for the holidays" more than cooking with alcohol, then drunken chicken is the recipe for you. Read More »
Main Courses
How To Make Northern-Style Lamb Dumplings
In northern China, people eat lamb dumplings for the Dongzhi Festival, a tribute to the Han Dynasty physician, Zhang Zhongjing. Read More »
How To Make Soy Sauce Chicken
Combine simple ingredients to create a great version of this Chinatown classic at home. Read More »
How To Make Lion’s Head Meatballs
Lion's head meatballs come out soft and fragrant, with layers of deeply satisfying flavors. This is total comfort food. Read More »
How to Make a Whole Steamed Fish
Making a delicious steamed fish depends on selecting a fresh fish and using a good steaming setup. Neither is difficult. Read More »
How To Make Traditional Pork Dumplings
Making dumplings is a project a family can share while chatting around the kitchen table on any old Sunday afternoon. Read More »
How To Make Red Cooked Beef
Whether you're in China or the United States, a rich stew always pairs well with cold weather. Read More »
How To Make Stir Fried Beef with Snow Peas
Beef was an obvious symbol of good times and prosperity in ancient China, where meat was a rare addition to the dinner table. Read More »
How To Make Gailan with Crab Meat Sauce
The Chinese words for vegetable in Cantonese and Mandarin sound like the words for wealth and fortune. Read More »
How To Make A Whole White Cut Chicken
The chicken represents happiness, health and purity, while serving it whole symbolizes completeness and family unity. Read More »
Noodles & Rice
How To Make Rice Noodles with Pork and Bean Sprouts
While rice noodles may not carry the symbolism of longevity noodles, they remain an important component of a family meal during the holidays. Read More »
How To Make Braised Longevity Noodles
Eating long, unbroken wheat noodles is thought to bestow the virtues of longevity and strength throughout a person's life. Read More »
How To Make Yangzhou Fried Rice
Yangzhou fried rice is a simple homestyle dish that's commonly served as the final course at Chinese holiday and festival meals. Read More »
Desserts
How To Make Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Tang Yuan)
These round, white dumplings resemble the full moon and symbolize the virtues of unity and family togetherness. Read More »
How To Make Red Bean Dessert Soup
Red bean soup has a subtle, pleasing sweetness that’s perfect for rounding off a big Chinese meal. Read More »
How To Make Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Tang Yuan)
These small, round dumplings symbolize family unity, an important theme during a time of year when the seasons begin to tilt toward spring. Read More »
How To Make Traditional Lotus Seed Mooncakes
Compared with the store-bought alternative, homemade mooncakes are well worth the effort. Read More »
How To Make Picture Pastries (Kung Chai Peng)
Making picture pastries is a fun baking project that’s perfect to undertake with kids at the kitchen counter. Read More »