It's the end of the Tiger year, as we enter the Year of the Rabbit today.
Last year, I was back home in Mauritius { under the warm bright Sun } celebrating with my big loving family. Happy Days! { How time flies! } Chinese New Year is a great time to be back home. Surrounded by family, all my little cousins, wisdom from the Grandparents ... (^.^) ah! ... I do miss them all at this time of the year!
What makes the celebration of Chinese New Year even more special are the home-made dishes freshly prepared for all the big family to enjoy! I vividly remember my Uncles and Aunts helping out at my Grand-parents' house to make all the different traditional mauritian-chinese dishes which are usually prepared for this special occasion . My grand mother's speciality is her delicious 'soya-fried-chicken'... Simply divine! Soft, juicy and crispy golden skin. Then you have the stuffed teo-kon... and then of course the "hundred years' duck eggs" { Known as : p-hi tan in chinese } eaten with pickled ginger.
My grand- father's stuffed teo-kon {hard tofu} with fish and prawn paste are the best I've ever tasted and are the only ones that I eat! Not many restaurants would have it on their menu and if they do .. they are very far from matching the ones that my grand dad makes. Mmm... I wonder when I will have the pleasure to enjoy this dish again! Hopefully next year - have to make it happen!! :)
Oh and the next one is pure HEART ATTACK!
Chinese are known for being pork lovers! How not to be with pork dishes tasting so heavenly?
Fine, they may not be the healthiest food to input in our body but we live only once and I guess in moderation ... all things are OKAY ! I don't know the name of the dish above but all I know is that it tasted sooo goooodd. The flavours were so well incorporated in the meat and the cooking process so precise that at the first mouthful, oh!.... the pork was almost melting on my tongue! As long as this dish is eaten ONLY once a year { with all the fat with the meat - oh yes! } , I guess the best thing to do is to simply enjoy the moment for an experience that lasts ... a very long time ...
The P-hi Tan - 'Hundred Year's Duck Eggs' - { only eaten for Chinese New Year in my family } are not one of my favourites. First, their appearance are not the most appealing and second, the yolks are sometimes very gluey and do not taste so good.
However, mix it with a well seasoned fish soup, with ginger and winter mellon, it actually becomes edible to my taste. I like it with a lot of chopped coriander leaves which adds a fresh flavour to the soup.
Finally, Mauritian Desserts : Tarte aux bananes, Tarte frangipanes Poire and Pruneau, Napolitaines .... Mmmm.... !! Those are very typical Mauritian mini cakes which are always very popular for any celebrations. Be quick or you will be left with nothing!! To enjoy with hot chinese tea sitting around the family dining table where we would all { young and old} chit chat, gossip, laugh about the good old days ... { Precious Times }
Chinese New Year of the Rabbit
*** Gong Xi Fat Cai ***
Celebration Foods from my memories
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