Red Envelopes, Dumplings And More: It's The Lunar New Year
Year of the Snake celebrations have spread beyond Asia
Hello, and welcome to the CulinaryWoman Newsletter. I’m happy to see new subscribers and greet our returning ones. This issue, CulinaryWoman is decked out in red and gold, and hoping for prosperity in 2025.
The Lunar New Year Expands Its Reach
If you have friends with roots in Asia, you might know about Lunar New Year celebrations. But a number of people are just noticing them this year. In fact, awareness of the Lunar New Year has never been greater, moving beyond Asia and businesses with Asian roots to mainstream places and brands.
I was tickled to see the red lanterns on display at Sparrow Market, which sells produce and meat, here in Ann Arbor. I spotted multiple displays of Lunar New Year goods and food at my local Home Goods and there are numerous choices at Target (I couldn’t resist a cute rice bowl).
All kinds of organizations have posted Lunar New Year greetings, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and even Side Biscuit, our local wings spot.
Here are some basics to expand your understanding of this important holiday.
What is the Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar, which tracks the position of the sun and the moon, versus established months. It typically begins with the first new moon after the start of a calendar year, which fell last Wednesday.
Where is the Lunar New Year celebrated?
It’s an enormous holiday in China, which is why you’ve sometimes heard it called the Chinese New Year. However, the Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout the Pacific Rim, especially in South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. In the U.S., every major city and some smaller ones have a form of Lunar New Year celebration. New York State gave kids the day off from school on Wednesday, becoming the first U.S. state to do so.
What is the symbol of the Lunar New Year?
This year is the Year of The Snake, which is the sixth of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. (I’m a rooster.) The snake represents calmness and introspection. People born in the Year of the Snake are mysterious, charismatic, intuitive, calm, strategic, positive, wise, determined, intelligent, goal-oriented, responsible and graceful.
What are some Lunar New Year greetings?
In Cantonese, the traditional greeting is gong hei fat choy, which loosely translates as “May you be prosperous.” If you remember the musical Flower Drum Song, there’s a New Year’s scene in which the characters exchange that greeting.
Alternatively, you can say “gong xi fa cai” which is Mandarin for “Congratulations and may you be prosperous.” In Korean, the greeting is aehae bok mani badeuseyo, meaning “May you receive a lot of luck in the new year.” In Vietnam, people say, húc mừng năm mới or “Congratuations on the new year” or “cung chuc tan xuan” which loosely translates as “Wishing you all the best.”
What do people eat?
Ah, this is the fun part. Depending on the cuisine, and the part of the world where it originates, Lunar New Year dishes can include whole steamed fish, noodles — the longer the noodle, the longer you’ll live — sweet rice balls, dumplings, tangerines, roast chicken, and spring rolls. Unlike the Mid-Autumn Festival, there aren’t specific Lunar New Year cakes or treats, but if you are lucky enough to be invited to a friend’s home, you’ll see an impressive spread.
Is it lucrative?
Definitely for children! And increasingly, for others as well. In China, the tradition is to place money in little red envelopes called hong baos. They’re given by grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts to little ones. Close friends might also present hong bao as well. Lately, there’s a trend emerging where adult friends have Lunar New Year feasts and draw hong bao from a hat or a basket. You might win a dollar, or $20 or a gift card.
In China, the Lunar New Year is traditionally a time when people go to the movies. On Wednesday, China set a new box office record. More than 35 million people attended a film, and the Chinese movie industry earned about $250 million.
Across Asia and in an increasing number of U.S. cities, the Lunar New Year is a time to put on special dinners. You can find celebrations everywhere from Eugene, Oregon to Erie, Pennsylvania, from Detroit to Minneapolis and here in Ann Arbor. Many restaurants are holding the celebrations on multiple occasions and offering specials for a full week.
One of the biggest fans of the Lunar New Year was Danny Kaye, the actor you may know best from White Christmas or Hans Christian Andersen. He was an avid Chinese cook, who outfitted his kitchen with two gas-powered woks and regularly cooked feasts for his friends. Here’s a menu from 1977 that could be served now (although I’m a little wary of Vegetable Duck).
Saying Goodbye To A Beloved Photographer
If there was a parade or a second line happening in New Orleans, Pableaux Johnson was there. He captured some of the most evocative images of the Crescent City taken by anyone in modern times. One of his specialties was Black masking Indians, who strutted in their elaborate suits of pretty on Super Sunday and other times of the year.
He was known for hosting Monday night gatherings for red beans and rice, often attended by visiting out of towners. Everyone felt they knew him and that he was their friend, which is an art in itself.
Last week, Pableaux was following a second line, when he collapsed and died of a heart attack. His death triggered an outpouring of admiration, from the New York Times to the New Orleans Advocate-Times Picayune. One of the most touching tributes was written by Lolis Eric Elie, who I think captured Pableaux perfectly.
The last time I saw him was from my balcony. I came out to watch a parade in honor of Anne Rice, the gothic novelist. I looked down at Coliseum Street, and there was Pableaux, capturing the scene. (He’s at the bottom right hand corner.) It’s sad but also fitting that he died doing what he loved.
Top Chef Goes North Of The Border
It’s hard to believe, but Season 22 of Top Chef is coming up. This year, the show is headed to Canada. It will visit Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, and Prince Edward Island.
Fifteen people will compete for the title. You can see the full lineup of chefs here.
The grand prize is the biggest yet — $250,000 with the winner also receiving a $125,000 flight credit from Delta. They’ll receive a feature in Food & Wine and an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado.
The new season launches on March 13.
Washington, D.C. Restaurant Staff Are Unionizing
If you’ve been to the nation’s capital, you know that its restaurant scene has exploded in recent years. Now, employees at five upscale restaurants are vying to form a union.
According to Washingtonian Magazine, the quintet are Le Diplomate, St. Anselm, and Pastis, owned by Stephen Starr and Rasika Penn Quarter and Modena from Ashok Bajaj.
Paul Schwalb, the executive secretary-treasurer of Unite Here Local 25, told the magazine that workers from both restaurant groups approached the union around the same time last year.
Interest in unionizing spread as they talked to others in their sister restaurants. Schwalb, a veteran of the restaurant industry, says he’s never seen such a large number of staff attempting to unionize simultaneously in the same city.
If successful, Unite would represent 500 front- and back-of-house workers across the five restaurants.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
I got an education in egg prices last week for Food & Wine. I explored why prices have spiked 37 percent in the past year. The reasons include avian flu, which has ravaged flocks across the country, as well as a switch by nine states to cage-free eggs, which are collected under kinder conditions, but are more expensive to produce than conventionally raised eggs.
I also wrote a story for the Ann Arbor Observer by a visit by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Ann Arbor. It sent a chill through the local restaurant community, especially downtown.
I’d be happy to hear from you and have you follow me. I’m dividing my social media presence between Instagram, Tik Tok, Threads and Bluesky. It is interesting to see how different they are from each other, but I definitely appreciate everyone who is liking my content.
Here’s where to find me:
Website: www.michelinemaynard.com
Email: culinarywoman (@) gmail dot com
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Tomorrow, I’ll be back for paid subscribers with some thoughts on what you might like at a Korean bakery.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s gift, consider my book Satisfaction Guaranteed. You can order a copy at your favorite book store or at Bookshop.org.
See you tomorrow or next week!