Food plays a central role in all celebrations in China and especially that of Chinese New Year. Unlike the ‘Thanksgiving Turkey’ or ‘Christmas Ham’ which are cultural standards in the West, festival foods can vary greatly from region to region in China, and certain dishes hold greater meaning in certain areas. In fact, each village and each family may have its own traditions beyond that of the region.
This article is from the archives from our favourite Sichuan food writer (no, not you Dunlop) Jordan Porter – who unfortunately isn’t in the city anymore.
Check out how to pig out like a local this Spring Festival, with Jordan’s Chengdu Chinese New Year food guide:
In Sichuan, lunch not dinner is the most important meal, and it is the main feature of the celebration. It’s also where the drinking takes place. Lunch will often be a more elaborate meal, but it doesn’t end there. As with any celebration in Chengdu there will be an afternoon intermission filled with majiang, sunflower seeds, tea, and probably cigarettes, before places are resumed at the table for a more casual, dinner.
These are some of the dishes you can expect if you attend a CNY celebration this year:
Sausages & Smoked Meat
Chicken 鸡肉
Fish 鱼
Surou 酥肉
Deep fried, spiced, fatty pork is prepared by each family and served during the feast. It can be served crispy on its own with a side of crushed chili, though most commonly its served in a soup – which makes it not crispy at all, but still delicious. Often made en masse, it also serves as an easy gift when visiting other families or family members along side strings of sausages and bags of smoked meat.
Dumplings 饺子
Baijiu 白酒 and Boiled Beer 煮啤酒
As with celebrations across the world, for many families drinking also plays a role in the festivities. Whole families gather together and toast to the fortune of the family and things to come in the year ahead. This is the time to bring out that fancy bottle of WuLiangYe or MaoTai you’ve been saving up and enjoy it with loved ones. The flavors also compliment the sausages and smoked meat very nicely. In cooler areas, and for the evening meal, a ‘mulled beer’ 煮啤酒 may also be made. Local beer is boiled with ginger, goji berries, rock sugar and fermented rice for a warm, boozey beverage that keeps you peppy in the cool of the evening.
About Jordan Porter
Founder of Chengdu Food Tours and Sichuan’s leading expert on local food and is a regular contributor to Chengdu-Expat.com
To discover more about food in Sichuan and learn more about Chengdu Food Tours please contact jordan@chengdufoodtours.com or visit www.ChengduFoodTours.com
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