According to the Chinese zodiac, the 2022 lunar new year officially begins on Tuesday, February 1, and celebrates the year of the tiger, specifically the water tiger.

Let’s talk about food and the Chinese New Year. I had the privilege of meeting the incomparable Chef Ming Tsai at a food event in NYC several years back.

I was working for Fine Cooking Magazine as Senior Food Editor and Test Kitchen Director. I was feeling kind of lucky that night, so I thought I’d approach him with the hopes of convincing him to work on a feature for the Chinese New Year!

His incredible menu included:

• Pork and Scallion Pot Stickers
• Longevity Noodles
• Tea-Smoked Beer-Battered Tempura Trout and Vegetables with Black-Vinegar Aioli (basically a Chinese version of Fish & Chips)
• Red-Roast Chicken (or Duck) with Sweet Potatoes
• Sticky Coconut Rice Cake with Ginger-Orange Flambe

Here’s a bit of Chinese New Year symbolism that Chef Ming shared with us:

• Noodles are eaten to represent long life and should never be cut.
• Mushrooms naturally grow rapidly and symbolize prosperity.
• Eating green vegetables like watercress is important because the green represents wealth in the year ahead.

Are you, or anyone you know, celebrating Chinese New Year? Click on the link for menu suggestions from Master Chef, Ming Tsai. I can vouch for the deliciousness of every dish!

I’d love to hear from you if you’ve tried any of these recipes!

Since the Fine Cooking website was shut down, you can email me@chefdianaandrews.com for the recipe. Also, consider joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook!

—Chef Diana

Giving credit where credit is due:

• Food Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd (featured image)
• Photography by Kate Sears (featured image)