Auckland families are preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year, which began on February 17th and continues through March 3rd, with traditional feasts and celebrations marking the Year of the Fire Horse. For many Asian-Kiwi families, the holiday is a time for vibrant cultural expression and intergenerational connection, often centered around food.
Nic Chan, of the social media account @Chan Can Eat, describes a decade-long tradition of dumpling-making with her family that has evolved into a friendly competition. “My dad’s from Hong Kong, so we’re half Chinese. We would always cook hundreds of dumplings to eat, and then it organically turned into a competition,” Chan explained. The annual event, held this year at her sister’s house, features two categories: a traditional Cantonese dumpling and a wildcard fusion creation.
Past wildcard entries have included dumplings inspired by cinnamon buns, palusami – a Fijian and Samoan dish with taro leaves and coconut cream – and even McDonald’s menu items. This year, Chan plans to present a mince and cheese bakery pie dumpling. Judging is conducted with anonymous voting using lucky gold coins and a social media poll.
Chan emphasized the importance of the event as a way to connect with her Chinese heritage while embracing her Kiwi identity. “It’s really cool to get everyone involved, and everyone loves it,” she said. Her previous entry, a pan-fried cheeseburger dumpling, proved popular with the judges, blending familiar flavors in an unexpected format.
Nic Chan’s Cheeseburger Dumplings
- 1 packet large store-bought dumpling wrappers
- 250g beef mince
- ¼ cup very finely diced pickles
- ¼ cup very finely diced brown onion
- 1 Tbsp American mustard
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup Nacho cheese sauce
- 4 slices American-style cheese slices, finely chopped
Instructions: Finely dice onions and pickles. Combine beef mince, pickles, onion, mustard, pepper, cheese sauce, and chopped cheese. Fill each wrapper, seal, and cook by steaming, pan-frying, or deep-frying. Serve with ketchup and mustard.
For Auckland foodie Jasmine Kim, Lunar New Year celebrations are centered around simpler, yet equally meaningful, dishes. She shared her family’s recipe for kimchi pancakes, a popular Korean dish gaining traction in New Zealand. “Kimchi pancakes are a really easy recipe that a lot of Koreans and other cultures are now enjoying,” Kim said. “It’s as well a sharing dish, so you can have it by yourself if you want to, but most of the time you would make several of the pancakes and just share among family members.”
Kim, who immigrated to New Zealand as a child, noted that while her family embraces Kiwi culture, they continue to observe Lunar New Year traditions. “If we were living in Korea, it’s the time when you’d have a big feast with your wider family…Here, it’s just my direct family in New Zealand, and even though we don’t have a huge celebration, we still want to share a meal or two just because it’s all about family, it’s all about celebrating the new year, wishing each other health, fortune and wealth.”
Jasmine Kim’s Kimchi Pancakes
- 1 medium spring onion
- 1 1/2 cups cabbage kimchi
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sparkling water
- 1 tablespoon kimchi brine
- 1/2 cup mixed frozen seafood
Instructions: Cut kimchi into bite-size pieces. Combine spring onions, kimchi, flour, sparkling water, kimchi brine, onions, and seafood. Mix well. Fry portions of batter in a non-stick pan until golden and crispy.
Vanessa Zhao, of @foodiestablenz, highlighted the significance of Braised Carp, or “A Dish of Abundance and Hope,” as a non-negotiable element of her family’s Lunar New Year feast. “This proves glossy, deep brown from soy sauce, gently sweet, aromatic with ginger and scallions, and always served whole,” Zhao said. “For my family, it is a symbol of hope, continuity, and the promise of a better year ahead.”
The dish carries symbolic weight rooted in Chinese folklore, representing success and upward mobility, as the carp is said to leap over the Dragon Gate and transform into a dragon. Zhao explained that the placement of the fish on the table is also significant, with the head facing the eldest family member and the tail facing the youngest, symbolizing respect and continuity. Leaving some of the fish uneaten signifies a surplus that will carry into the next year.
Zhao emphasized the role of food as a form of love and communication within Chinese culture. “Each dish carries a wish: fish for surplus, dumplings for wealth, noodles for longevity, rice cakes for growth,” she said. “When we gather around dishes like 红烧鲤鱼 (Braised Carp), we are sharing more than food. We are sharing wishes for prosperity, resilience and transformation, just like the carp leaping over the dragon gate.”
Chinese Braised Carp
- 20 stalks spring onion, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 500 grams carp, cleaned
- 4 Tbsp cooking oil
- 2 pieces ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp rice wine or Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions: Stir-fry spring onions, then fry carp in oil with ginger. Add wine, soy sauce, water, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, returning spring onions during the last minute.
