Since Chinese people can be found in almost every part of the world, some of our customs and traditions have taken on a local flavour. Singapore is no exception. So, this is my humble interpretation of what this holiday is to me. (This list is by no means exhaustive.)
This shellfish is a must for any Chinese New Year meal. Bought in cans and eaten in various ways, the price varies from year to year, according to the country of origin and size. As of 5 December 2015, the demand for abalone in Singapore increased overnight. Due to a ban on serving fresh-water raw fish, restaurants and eateries have now substituted raw fish for abalone in the traditional raw fish salad or 'lo hei' (see "L is for Lo Hei").
Bak kwa 肉干 is barbequed pork slices. Available all year round, the demand and price soars about three weeks before the New Year. Pork is minced, seasoned with a secret marinade, dried, then barbecued by hand. The whole process takes a few days from slabs of meat to finished product.
C is for 春节 (pronounced 'Chun Jie')
C is also for Chinese New Year! Officially, Chinese New Year is known as 春节 or Spring Festival in Chinese as the first day of the lunar new year marks the beginning of Spring.
D is for 大吉大利 (pronounced 'da ji da li')
Loosely translated as 'good luck', this is one of the standard greetings during this festive season. Many Chinese homes will have this phrase pasted around the living room, much like a 'Merry Christmas' sign, as decor.
More commonly known as Kueh Belanda (literally 'Dutch cake' in Malay), this delicate, crispy roll is an absolute must in every home. It is made from eggs, flour, coconut milk and sugar. Painstakingly baked over a charcoal fire and quickly rolled by hand when hot, this deceptively light biscuit packs quite a few calories in one roll.
F is for Family
The New Year is a time for family from far and wide to come home for a reunion dinner on the eve of the new year. For the next few days, friends and relatives will visit one another to renew ties and stay in touch.
G is for 恭喜发财 (pronounced 'Gong Xi Fa Cai')
This is the standard greeting when you meet someone during the festive season, which lasts 15 days. For the non-Chinese speaking, a simple "Happy New Year" or 新年快乐 (pronounced 'xin nian kuai le') will do too.
In any Peranakan home, this soup is an absolute must for the reunion dinner. The name of the dish comes from its main ingredient, which is 鱼鳔 (pronounced 'yu bio') or the air bladder of the eel. Other ingredients in the soup are meat balls (made from minced pork, minced squid and crab meat), pig's stomach, sea cucumber, pork ribs and cabbage.
I is for I Love Chinese New Year!
In a Hokkien (Fujian) home, the reunion dinner will be steamboat (sometimes knows as hot pot or 火锅 'huo guo'). Raw meat, seafood and vegetables will be prepared and served on plates around the table. In the middle of the table will be a boiling pot of soup. Each member of the family will take whatever food he likes from any of the array of raw food, dip it in the pot of soup to be cooked, then eat it piping hot. The fun is in the cooking and sharing of food around the table.
Kueh means 'cake' or any kind of pastry in Malay. Repeating the word makes it plural. Go to any home and you will find cakes, sweets, pastries, of a myriad display and flavour.
Literally meaning 'toss up', this dish is uniquely Singaporean. It was created and popularised by local Cantonese chefs who owned a famous restaurant. Served only during the new year, it is a salad of sorts, with raw fish. Due to the ban on raw fresh water fish, the fish has now been replaced by abalone (see A is for Abalone).
M is for Mandarin Oranges
When visiting family and friends, mandarin oranges 柑 are a must. The minimum number is two. They must always be presented in even numbers. The recipient will return you the same number of oranges. If you are going to many homes, you will only need to leave home with two oranges and keep exchanging them at each home you visit. Recycling must have been an ancient Chinese custom.
Literally translated as 'new year cake', this brown-coloured, round confection is served only during the new year. Eating it is supposed to guarantee you upward mobility in the days and months ahead (年年升高 pronounced 'nian nian sheng gao').
O is for ’Ong Lye‘ 黄梨
This practice is for the Hokkien family, if you are superstitious. In the Hokkien language, a pineapple is called 'ong lye'. This word is the same pronunciation for the word meaning 'wealth comes'. At the opening of a new business or before entering a new home, the Hokkien family will roll a pineapple from the front door into the premises for good luck. It is common to see paper pineapples hanging from the ceiling as decor.
This dish is traditional in Hong Kong. Originally, all the leftovers during the reunion dinner were placed in a large clay pot and simmered over a slow fire. This was the meal for the next few days of the new year. Today, it has become a specially made pot of expensive seafood items. Many hotels prepare this dish for families to order as takeaway for dinners at home.
Q is for Queues
Tis the season to queue for bak kwa 肉干. As the new year draws closer, queues in Chinatown outside the most famous store can go for kilometres round the block. Average waiting time is known to be eight hours. (See B is for Bak Kwa)
R is for Red Packets 红包
Red envelopes containing cash are given to grandparents, parents, elderly relatives, singles, and children. How much cash is in each envelope depends on who the recipient is, how close the relationship, and possibly how needy the recipient may be. Only one rule applies: total amount must always be in even numbers and absolutely not ending in 4 e.g. $4, $14, etc. The number 4 sounds like the word for death.
S is for Sugar
90% of what you eat during the new year contains this ingredient: cakes, cookies, soft drinks. If you are not careful, you will end up with a massive sugar overload before the first day of festivities is over.
This is a must for the new year, since pineapple has an auspicious meaning (see O is for Ong Lye). The basic recipe is pineapple jam wrapped in a flour and butter pastry. What the finished product looks like depends entirely on the creativity of the baker.
Singaporean palates are increasing hard to please. Each year, bakeries have to come up with unusual flavours for cookies. Some very local flavours this year include nasi lemak cookies (nasi lemak is a local dish of rice cooked in coconut milk, anchovies with peanuts, omelette, and a slice of cucumber), and dried shrimp floss cookies.
V is for Values
The festive season is for the older generation to pass down family and traditional values to the next generation. Values define a society. The stronger the family values, the stronger the society will be.
W is for Weight Gain
This is unavoidable, considering the copious amounts of food consumed in those few days. Unless you are very disciplined, it is very difficult not to gain some weight, even if it is only a few hundred grams.
X is for eXtra Kilos I need to shed
Ditto W is for Weight Gain above.
Y is for Young and Old
The festive season is for families to get together. Young and old enjoy each other's company. Family bonds are renewed and strengthened.
After the festivities, we will all need lots of zzzz to make up for all the energy spent preparing, cooking, eating, washing, visiting friends and relatives, etc.
Here's wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
