In China, people have a custom to stay up at the New Year's Eve till midnight, and then the well-prepared food, Jiaozi in Chinese, or the so called dumpling, is served as soon as it is cooked in the boiling water.
Jiaozi is perhaps the most special food in people's lives. First, it is served at a particular time, right after the midnight. Second, it is served with only some garlic-soy sauce. Third, usually a coin is hidden in one of the dumplings. The person who find or bite the coin will be the luckiest one in the new year. But that has been tested to work even more efficiently on break away the poor teeth of an old man. My grandpa was once lucky enough to bite the coin in one of the dumplings. The moment he became the lucky winner, the only tooth he had said good-bye to him. Perhaps he had no pity despite that for he was supposed to be the luckiest one that year in our family. Nevertheless, it has been the custom to have dumplings for the breakfast at the New Year's Day.
It's hard to say when the custom began, but there are many tales telling how it began. One of them said it got spread from a poor farmer's family. One year, terrible famine took place and many people died of hunger. It was the New Year's Eve when the farmer's family had nothing to cook. And they were even out of firewood. All the family members were too hungry to fall asleep at the New Year's Eve. Just when they thought hard in vain, there came the sound of drum telling the high point of a new year had come. And at the moment both the daughter-in-laws hinted to each other to make a joke over their husbands' poor father; so the elder daughter-in-law said first to him, "Father, what shall we have for the first meal of the new year?" The old man was quite ready to answer, "gold cornu." "And what shall we have to burn in order to boil the GOLD cornu?" the younger daughter-in-law asked. "Of course, gold bars." That was the answers of the humorous father. But he wouldn't stop the joke here. So he ordered the two daughter-in-laws: "Go and cook by the recipe I just ordered, would you?" This time both the daughter-in-laws were cornered badly. How could they cook such a meal! Finally they thought of an idea. "Well, I'll wipe off what is left in the flour jar and you have to get some frozen vegetables in the garden. So they managed to make some cornu-like food. "But what about firewood?" the other asked worriedly. "That is easy. Parts of the fence in the garden will do." So the first breakfast of the year was being made like that.
The god in charge of treasure happened to see the poor but interesting family, and he felt sorry for them. So he dropped some real gold cornua into their jar and some real gold bars over the firewood secretly. As soon as the able women found the treasure, they cried out happily, which caused all the neighbors to come to see what was happening. When people heard the whole story, they all came to recognize it was the cornu-like dumplings that brought the gold. So people began to do the same as the family for the first meal of a new year as early as they could intending to catch more opportunity for treasure from Heaven. That is perhaps the reason why Chinese people show more interest in having Jiaozi at the New Year's Day.
story extracted from HERE
May this Year of the Tiger leave footprints of good health, great fortune and prosperity for you and your family. May you enjoy roaring success and a Tiger-ific life in the year ahead. GONG XI FA CAI!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TOO!!!
During this Chinese New Year season, spare a thought for the elderly, the poor, the orphans and the underpriviledged. If you can, visit them and show them a little bit of love and kindness. God bless you!
20 comments to THE STORY OF JIAOZI
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Ipoh Mali Wow, jiaozi. They taste good?
But what about 'nian gao'?
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Unknown Dear Anon @ 1.42 pm
Thanks for the extra info re jiazi.
May you have a blessed new year and enjoy good health, wealth and happiness.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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Unknown Hi Ipoh Mali
Ah - I must do a post on that one...Nian Gao..
Thanks for the reminder!
Xin Nian Kwai Ler!
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romerz Happy new year Paula and the same to your family too. Take care and keep up the good fight!
New year, new challenges. But we're up for it right? :-)
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Unknown Hi Romerz
Many thanks for your festive wishes. Indeed, we will keep up the good fight and brace ourselves for new challenges.:-)
Take care and God be with you!
Cheers
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Cat-from-Sydney Aunty Paula,
Would you make tuna jiaozi for me? Yummmmmy....
Wishing you the best New Year ever...not forgetting the boys in the family too. hahaha...you're the only rose among the thorns...
Gong Xi Fa Cai and don't forget Angelina's angpow! purrr....meow!
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Village Boy It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during Chinese New Year because nian gao is a homonym for "higher year."
Eating nian gao has the symbolism of raising oneself higher in each coming year, hopefully of course!
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Anonymous During this festive New Year season, let's spare a thought for the elderly, the poor, the orphans and the under-priviledged.
Well said, MWS,
Meanwhile, let's not forget to give a thought to those 5 members of parliament from PKR (the so-called over-priviledged humans) who are said to be quitting this coming week.
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Unknown Dear Cat-in-Sydney
It will be my pleasure to make it for you dearie!
Thanks so much for the festive greetings...
Haha! Me - Queen of the House aka Madam-Do-It-All.
Ang pow via paypal??? :-)
Take care and have fun!
Meows and purrs going your way and salams too
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Unknown Dear katdog
Thaks for your festive greetings!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Have a wonderful time with your loved ones.
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Village Boy
Thanks for the enlightening information. May this Year of the Tiger raise our hopes and spirits for the dawn of a new Malaysia and may you be blessed bountifully!
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Anon @ 10.19 am
Indeed it is truly sad but expected news of the 5 who are going solo for reasons known to them.
Take care and have a great festive season.
Cheers
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Tak Malu PAS and DAP, problematic at times, have so far been more consistent than their leading partner in the coalition, PKR.
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Anonymous Undeniably, there’s still hope for PKR. Clean up the mess, get the gardener to weed out the garden, give it a good, thorough trim, and leave no stone unturned.
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Unknown Dear Tak Malu
Very true. We are living in challenging times and if we do not get through this period, I wonder what will happen.
My apologies for this late response.
I thought I'd responded!!! I am getting old.
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Anonymous @ 11.39am
God bless you for your optimism. I am so glad there are still Malaysians like you who think with hope.
Take care and do keep in touch!
Cheers
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Unknown Dar Anonymous @ 10.11 pm
Gong Xi Fa Cai to you!!!
Sorry for this delay in response.
Take care and God bless you!
Anonymous It is commonly believed that serving Jiaozi brings the promise of wealth, good luck and prosperity!
Many families eat Jiaozi at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve so that they will have money at the changing of the years.