Lunar New Year

This is the delicious savory cake served in dim sum houses throughout the year and, most auspiciously, on New Year's Day as a symbol of prosperity and rising fortunes. Turnip cake is made with Chinese turnip, law bock, which is a type of daikon radish. There is also a daikon radish called Japanese daikon radish, which is similar to the Chinese turnip in appearance. To make matters more confusing, law bock, translated into English, means turnip. Some produce vendors do not realize there is a distinction, but the Chinese turnip is more blemished looking than the Japanese daikon, which has a creamier white color. Although Chinese turnip is best for this recipe, whichever one you use, choose a firm heavy vegetable. The turnip should ideally be 8 to 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Some people remove only the rind of the Chinese bacon and finely chop the whole piece, using all the fat. But I find this too rich, so I discard the layer of fat under the rind. In recipes that call for Chinese bacon to be sliced, all that is required is a sturdy cook's knife or cleaver. However, when the bacon needs to be finely chopped, as in this recipe, the bacon should be steamed first to make it easier. Make sure to use rice flour and not glutinous rice flour. I've never met anyone who served the entire cake at once. During the first ten days of the New Year's celebration a few slices of all the different New Year's cakes are fried every morning for breakfast or when friends or family stop by. The cake will keep nicely in the refrigerator for ten days if wrapped in plastic wrap.

The provenance of this southern dish is shared by the Hakka and the Cantonese. The historic popularity of salt-baked chicken over the years led to various foods being called "salt-baked" even though they were not. The process of water-blanching, coating, and oil-blanching approximates baking to the Hakka taste. To the Cantonese the dish is simply jiu yim, or "pepper salt" to demote its primary flavors.

Homemade taro root cake is unsurpassed if the home cook doesn't skimp on the ingredients. Thick slices of taro cake, richly flavored with scallops, mushrooms, shrimp, Chinese bacon, and creamy taro are pan-fried until golden brown and fragrant. My Auntie Ivy's mother, Che Chung Ng, makes such a recipe and is famous in the family for both her Turnip Cake and Taro Root Cake. Every New Year, she cooks several cakes and gives them away as gifts to close family members. Nothing is measured exactly, and it is impressive to see her produce cake after cake, especially because she is over eighty years old. Spry and agile, she cooks with full energy and total intuition, never missing a beat. She kindly taught me this recipe and the one for Turnip Cake. Wear rubber gloves when handling taro, as some people can have an allergic reaction to touching it. Also use rice flour, not glutinous flour! See the introduction to Turnip Cake for how to serve and store this New Year's cake.

When we were children, shrimp dumplings were our favorite dim sum dish. The classic filling is shrimp and bamboo shoots. The dough is not difficult to make, but it is very important that the water be boiling hot. If it is not hot enough, the wheat starch will not cook and the dough will not work. Wheat starch _(dung fun)_is only available in Chinatown; regular white flour is not a substitute. The tortilla press used here is excellent for making the dough into thin, uniform rounds, but you can also make the dumplings by hand: Roll the dough into scant 1-inch balls. Place one ball between your lightly floured hands and press to form a circle. Press the dough evenly with your fingertips to make it as thin as possible, about 3 inches in diameter and a scant 1/8-inch thick.

A delightful large-format blend of lychees, gin, elderflower, and citrus perfect for festive gatherings like Lunar New Year.

Chewy, spicy, savory tteokbokki is a supremely satisfying Korean dish of crispy rice cakes in a gochujang-based sauce. Bok choy brings balance to our version.

This simple bok choy recipe, flavored with shallot, garlic, and soy sauce, is ideal for when you’re short on time and ingredients.

Umami-rich and flavorful all on its own, this vegan hot pot base is also a welcome palate cleanser when served alongside a spicy broth.

This fiery red broth is a labor of love, but it’s worth it—your hot pot spread depends on a rich, flavorful base.

These mochi-stuffed jujube dates in syrup are the Lunar New Year dessert that’s (almost) too adorable to eat.

A showstopping whole fish is a Lunar New Year staple. Assistant food editor Jessie YuChen’s version is straightforward yet stunning, doesn’t require any special equipment, and did we mention it’s absolutely delicious?

This deeply savory (and vegan!) take on Taiwanese youfan will make a gorgeous addition to any Lunar New Year feast.

Pillowy soft, light, and fluffy, these mantou knots from chef Brandon Jew are a versatile steamed bread dream.

This Hong Kong staple is the ultimate one-pot comfort food.

If the words crispy dumpling skirt don't send you running to your stove, we don't know what will. Instead of steaming these dumplings in water, we simmer them in a vinegary cornstarch and flour slurry that creates a lacy, crunchy golden crust as the water evaporates and the dumplings brown. The vinegar adds tang, but also creates the lightest and crispiest skirt, a pro move we borrowed from Dumpling Galaxy in Flushing, Queens. 

These richly flavored ribs are a riff on kalbi jjim, a traditional Korean special-occasion dish.

What’s better than a jammy egg? One that’s been sitting in a tangy-salty marinade of chiles, soy, mirin, and vinegar, like this classic star of Korean banchan.

Chewy. Crunchy. Salty. Spicy. These veggie-packed fritters have it all.