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Billy · 02-07-2004, 02:55 AM

Food Ê³Îï
Food is one of the most important aspect of the Spring Festival, and huge amounts are bought, prepared and eaten in Chinese households. Many of the foods served at New Year have symbolic meanings. Some foods have a name which sounds the same as a character with a lucky meaning and for some foods their shape and colour are emblems of words special to the Spring Festival such as happiness, prosperity fortune or luck.

Two recipes for Chinese New Year foods are featured below. Yau Gwok, being crescent shaped and fried till deep gold in colour resemble the traditional Chinese gold ingot (tael), while Jin Dui are also golden and symbolic of prosperity.

Yau Gwok (Deep Fried Puffs) Õ¨½È

Ingredients
5 oz plain flour
1 tablespoon grated coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons roasted pounded peanuts
1 tablespoon fried white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons water

Sift the flour and separate it into two portions. Add the water into one portion and knead till it is a dough. Add the oil to the remaining portion of flour and knead till it is a soft dough. Mix the two doughs together and knead the dough mixture till it is soft. Roll into a thin sheet. Make into round shapes using a pastry cutter. Mix together the coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar with a little oil and water, place portions on the individual round sheets of dough mixture, fold over to make a crescent shape and seal the sides. Deep fry on a medium heat till golden brown. Drain and serve.

Jin Dui (Chinese Sesame Cookies) ¼â¶Ñ

Ingredients
6 oz sweet potatoes
10 oz red bean paste
1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup plain flour
2/3 cup white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup hot water

Peel the sweet potatoes and boil them till tender, then mash them. Sift the glutinous rice flour and flour together then blend together with the sugar and mashed sweet potato. Knead the mixture well and sprinkle in the hot water. Knead the dough into small balls and then roll each ball into a flat round shape. Spoon on some red bean paste onto each as stuffing and knead back into balls. Coat the balls with cold water, then coat thoroughly with sesame seeds. Deep fry on a low heat until the balls are golden and swollen. Drain and serve.

02-07-2004, 02:55 AM	#5
Billy Professor Join Date: May 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 1,462	Food Ê³Îï Food is one of the most important aspect of the Spring Festival, and huge amounts are bought, prepared and eaten in Chinese households. Many of the foods served at New Year have symbolic meanings. Some foods have a name which sounds the same as a character with a lucky meaning and for some foods their shape and colour are emblems of words special to the Spring Festival such as happiness, prosperity fortune or luck. Two recipes for Chinese New Year foods are featured below. Yau Gwok, being crescent shaped and fried till deep gold in colour resemble the traditional Chinese gold ingot (tael), while Jin Dui are also golden and symbolic of prosperity. Yau Gwok (Deep Fried Puffs) Õ¨½È Ingredients 5 oz plain flour 1 tablespoon grated coconut 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted pounded peanuts 1 tablespoon fried white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon sugar 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons water Sift the flour and separate it into two portions. Add the water into one portion and knead till it is a dough. Add the oil to the remaining portion of flour and knead till it is a soft dough. Mix the two doughs together and knead the dough mixture till it is soft. Roll into a thin sheet. Make into round shapes using a pastry cutter. Mix together the coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar with a little oil and water, place portions on the individual round sheets of dough mixture, fold over to make a crescent shape and seal the sides. Deep fry on a medium heat till golden brown. Drain and serve. Jin Dui (Chinese Sesame Cookies) ¼â¶Ñ Ingredients 6 oz sweet potatoes 10 oz red bean paste 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour 1/3 cup plain flour 2/3 cup white sesame seeds 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup hot water Peel the sweet potatoes and boil them till tender, then mash them. Sift the glutinous rice flour and flour together then blend together with the sugar and mashed sweet potato. Knead the mixture well and sprinkle in the hot water. Knead the dough into small balls and then roll each ball into a flat round shape. Spoon on some red bean paste onto each as stuffing and knead back into balls. Coat the balls with cold water, then coat thoroughly with sesame seeds. Deep fry on a low heat until the balls are golden and swollen. Drain and serve.