Many people have fond memories when it comes to the holidays when they spread gratitude and joy to their loved ones. In America, one of the most popular holidays is Christmas. Telling stories of Santa, giving gifts to others, making dishes that were created from multiple generations, or simply just going out to watch the Christmas tree lighting in the center of the town are some traditions enjoyed by Leavenworth locals. Traditions are an important part of holidays, and people either recreate traditions from their past or take inspiration to create new traditions within the family.
The United States is home to many people of color such as African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and so on. People from all over the world who have rich cultures, stories, holidays, and traditions that they practice all year round live in the United States. The dish featured in this article is meant for the holidays and focuses on traditions from Asia, specifically Chinese and Japanese.
Most residents of China don’t typically celebrate Christmas; instead, they celebrate the Lunar New Year. This holiday is on January 22nd and typically involves a family reunion and the theme of hope. It’s a time of worship to their ancestors who have passed, exorcising evil spirits and praying for a good harvest for the upcoming new year. Festivals are held with lion dances, dragon dances, temple fairs, and markets selling goodies and delicious snacks for their activities. One old tradition is to give a gift of a bright red envelope filled with money to friends and family, this symbolizes good wishes and luck.
At the beginning of the day, the family prepares specific foods with special meaning to them. They end the celebration with the warmth and love of being together during dinnertime. Common foods made on Chinese Lunar New Year include Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger, Chinese Dumplings, Spring Rolls, Sweet Rice Balls, Longevity Noodles, Steamed Chicken, Vegetarian Stir Fry, Hot Pot, New Year Cake, Shrimp, Scallion Pancakes, Eggplant, Pork, Wontons, and Tangerines.
Chinese Steamed Fish
One recipe featured in this article is for Chinese Steamed Fish. There are many recipes for this dish with multiple variations and ingredients unique to the family.
It’s recommended to get fresh fish; however, if there’s none, frozen fish will also do. The most common and popular type of fish for the Lunar New Year is the carp; however, you can use any fish to create this dish. The symbol behind the steamed fish (carp) represents abundance and prosperity to those who eat it. I used frozen trout since there aren’t any fresh carp near where I live. You will need a rice cooker that is also a steamer (or an authentic steamer), a pan, a tong, and a spoon. The recipe is quick and simple for those who don’t want to or don’t have time to spend hours cooking.
Steps: Steamed Whole Fish
Buy your ingredients days before Lunar New Year’s Day. (it’s listed below)
If you have frozen fish, make sure to put your frozen fish immediately in the fridge to thaw out the ice, DON’T leave it out at room temperature. Also, put your kimchi in the fridge as well if you use it in your recipe.
It’s probably best to use the fish the next day, to ensure that it’s thawed out.
The next day, take out your fish and ingredients and wash the fish, scallions and ginger well.
Set your ingredients to the side and pull out the cutting board and a sharp knife. Put your fish on it, cut off all the fins, but don’t cut the head or tail off. You can cut the scales off as well. (I like the skin of the fish, so I just left it on. (IF YOU ARE 13 OR YOUNGER, YOU NEED ADULT SUPERVISION TO HELP YOU THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.)
Then, if you are using a fish that has all the fish guts, make a slit in the middle of the fish and cut off all the organs, and throw them away. Once you have done that, wash the insides of the fish the best you can.
After you are done with that, take out your rice cooker which is also a steamer, along with the steam basket, and a pan.
Get the rice cooker and plug it in and add 2 cups of water in the rice cooker bowl. Put the steam basket in and fill it with as much fish as will comfortably fit.
Put the glass lid on and press or turn the button to start it, it will be done when the water is all gone.
The cooking time will generally be around 9-12 minutes depending on how big your fish is. A medium fish is probably around 10 minutes, and a big fish would be around 15-20 minutes. (I’m using a medium-long fish.)
When your fish is cooking, get your cutting board and knife again and finely cut up your ginger and scallions.
After the fish is done cooking, get your tongs to pick up the fish carefully (it might break apart, but do not worry) and place it in your pan.
Put some type of oil or spray on the pan if it’s not nonstick before heating it.
Then turn up the heat to a low medium heat on the stove and place the lid on the pan and get your liquids and cut up ingredients.
Once it’s heated up, pour in 2/3 cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup of olive oil, and 1/3 cup of water.
Let the fish simmer and take your hand and sprinkle in the salt and sugar all over the fish, not too much or else it will be too salty or sweet.
Flip the fish with your tongs and add the chopped-up scallion and ginger, but don’t use up all of it.
Keep an eye on the fish and rotate it every so often.
After around 5 minutes add in the kimchi and sprinkle in the fresh ground white pepper.
Keep cooking for around another 5 minutes and rotate it every minute or so. Also, scoop up the liquid in the pan onto the fish to make sure it has coated the fish on equal sides.
After you see the meat of the fish is tender and almost falling apart, place the fish on the plate and from what’s left of the ginger, scallions, and kimchi put onto the fish.
If you want it to be juicier you can also scoop up some of the liquid that the fish was cooking in the pan onto the plate and enjoy!
Recipe:
Whole Fish (I used trout)
Soy Sauce
Salt
Fresh Ground White Pepper
Olive Oil
Ginger
Scallion
Sugar (optional)
Kimchi (optional)
Lunar New Year marks the first day of spring and comes from the months that are from the lunar cycle which lasts 29.6 days on average. The tradition for eating fish is that the family members eat half the fish for the first meal and then the other half is saved for the next meal to signify the extra abundance for the future that will also go through generation after generation. Chinese New Year has been on this earth for around 3,500 years, some believe that the Chinese New Year originated in the Shang Dynasty around 1600-1046 BC when people brought up sacrificial ceremonies in honor of the gods and ancestors at the beginning of the end of each year.
Pork-Wrapped Rice Ball
Even though pork-wrapped rice ball isn’t traditional for the Japanese New Year, it’s a great side dish or appetizer to any main meal. It’s recommended to get fresh bacon; however, frozen bacon will also do. Make sure to get the kind of bacon that is not seasoned, because the additional ingredients will be used as the seasoning. You’ll need a rice cooker, a pan, tongs, and a spoon. The recipe is also quick and simple.
Steps: Pork Wrapped Rice Balls
Buy your ingredients days before the Japanese New Year. (they’re listed below)
Put your bacon in the fridge until you need it.
Get your rice cooker out and plug it in and get your Japanese rice (double check that it’s the sticky one) and add 4 cups of rice and 4 cups of water into the rice cooker.
You will need to stir the rice in the water with your hands to clean and rinse it. You then drain the water and add 4 cups of water. Repeat until the water is pretty clear.
Once done, put your rice and water (make sure it’s only 4 cups of water in it) and turn or push the on button and cook until the water is gone.
When the rice is done, let it be until a minute or two pass to make sure the rice has absorbed all the water.
Scoop out the rice and use your hands to shape the sticky rice into an oval shape. Make it thick enough that the bacon can overlap it. Don’t make it too thin or too long, make as many as you can make.
Then get your bacon out of the fridge and put one bacon under the oval-shaped rice, it’s okay if the bacon can’t overlap the long way.
Then take out two or three more pieces of bacon and put it under the rice and wrap it, it will then overlap itself.
Then turn up the heat to a high medium.
Put the pork-wrapped rice balls on the pan and let the bacon cook until it’s brownish, which would take around 5 minutes along with rotating it to get the cooking even.
After you do that, pick up the pork-wrapped rice balls and put them on the plate to pour in your ingredients.
Pour soy sauce onto the pan that is on the stove and pour enough to the point it’s covering a thin layer of the pan.
Add half a cup of brown sugar, depending on how much sweetness you like on the bacon. Then add 1/4 Mirin (that is rice wine) and stir all those ingredients as it’s brewing with a soft utensil. Then you can place the already semi-cooked pork-wrapped rice balls onto the pan.
After it has simmered for about a minute or two, add pork-wrapped rice balls to the pan and put on the lid to let it cook for about 2-4 minutes.
Rotate them every 3 minutes to make sure the bacon is caramelized into it.
Generally, cook them for around 15-20 minutes if you want the bacon to be kind of crispy. It’s up to you.
Place the cooked pork-wrapped rice balls onto the plate and sprinkle the sesame seeds onto it and enjoy!
Recipe:
Japanese Rice (make sure it’s the sticky rice)
Soy Sauce
Brown Sugar
Simple Bacon
Mirin: Rice Wine
Sesame Seeds (optional)
Japanese New Year is associated with the beliefs of purification and renewal of the new year and for the individual, the celebration is called “Shogatsu” and New Year’s Day is called “Gantan”. Japan celebrates New Year’s Day on January 1st like the United States since they adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1973. Before any of that, Japan celebrated New Year at the same time of the lunar cycles. The celebration lasts three days and is full of joy and happiness. Japan traditionally believes in Kami, meaning gods visit homes for the turnover of a new slate and to live a happy and prosperous year. During Omisoka (New Year’s Eve) everybody deep cleans their houses to welcome the gods.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and appreciate the history behind the holidays and dishes. This was my first time making both dishes, and it was fun to go through the process and eat my final product. Of course, it’s not as good as the authentic dish made by experienced people, but I enjoyed hearing and seeing others enjoying the dish that I made.
Regardless of your religion, race, and culture, most can agree that it’s fun and overall inspirational to learn the traditions and history of the holidays of a different country’s origins, of how they came to be. What kind of holidays do you celebrate around the American Christmas? Please comment below!
コメント