Mia Rafn
Growing up in Korea, Lunar New Year meant many hours of making mandu, Korean dumplings. My family made two types: Kimchi and gogi (meat), but our favorite was kimchi mandu because we made it only in the wintertime.
In the summer, kimchi – the spicy Korean fermented vegetable dish – is made fresh from seasonal vegetables. But in November, Koreans do Gimjang, the traditional process of preparing and preserving kimchi to last through the harsh winter months. This labor-intensive process is shared by relatives and neighbors who make a large quantity of kimchi and store it in earthenware jars buried to the neck in the ground to prevent the contents from freezing. Even though fresh vegetables are now available year-round and homes are equipped with modern refrigeration, this tradition is still practiced in Korea because it brings people together to work, share food, and enjoy each other’s company.
Many Korean families make mandu around the Lunar New Year in late January to mid-February, and Gimjang kimchi is well fermented by that time. It appears in different Korean meals from stew to pancakes, dumplings, and more. The distinct sour taste of aged kimchi adds unique flavor to other common dumpling filling ingredients like tofu, ground beef and/or pork, yam noodles, bean sprouts, and green onions.
I have fond memories of my family gathered in the living room making mandu, watching favorite TV shows or just chatting to catch up. There was laughter and a sense of togetherness, and eating freshly made mandu was the best part!
After living in the States for many years away from my family in Korea, some years I didn’t do anything special for the Lunar New Year. But once I had my daughter, Mikaela, I thought a lot about what I could do to honor my heritage and pass it on to her. One tradition that connected us to my family in Korea is making mandu. I hope Mikaela learns the family recipes over the years, and celebrates her Korean heritage even after I am gone.
Often, we invite other Korean friends to have a big production of making mandu and eating other traditional Korean food for the New Year celebration. My house is filled with laughter, the aroma of mandu cooking in bamboo steamers, and the sound of us speaking Korean. Watching Mikaela enjoy making and eating mandu brings back my childhood memories of Lunar New year celebrations and my heart is full!
ChiaChia Lin
I am hardcore about keeping the Lunar New Year tradition for my kids. The holiday is a family holiday, so people don’t generally go out to celebrate. New Year’s Eve we have a big dinner, play gambling games, and stay up late. Then we take the next day off. In Taiwan or China there would be a month-long preparation. Here in the U.S. I make everything from scratch, like suan cai, which is like Chinese sauerkraut with fish. I chop meat which is similar to salami or prosciutto and air-dry it, and make sticky rice cakes with brown sugar or red beans – which are good luck to eat at the end of the day. I make enough to have some leftovers to carry into the New Year.
There is a lot of symbolism around the Lunar New Year. Hot pot is the symbol of everyone getting together and being peaceful and happy. The hot pot is really hearty and goes well with seafood. I say “Go fancy or go home!” so I get a king crab. Ten is a symbol of perfection, so I make ten dishes, including dumplings in the shape of ingots which represent wealth. When I was a child, my grandparents would put a coin in one dumpling and whomever found it would be very excited as it symbolized good fortune in the New Year.
After the big dinner, kids say specific phrases to the adults – one example is Gong Hsi Fa Tsai 恭喜發財 which means “Congrats and hope you get rich!” – and receive red envelopes with money in them to be used for gambling games. Traditionally, the money and everything are all brand new to represent a brand-new start. For our game we toss dice in a bowl, which makes it easy for guests or anyone to learn. Sometimes we share this Lunar New Year experience with local American friends.