Reunion is usually a big affair for the Chinese and Chinese New Year is the time where every family will come together and have a hearty meal while mingling with each other.

For my family, every year we will cook a variety of dishes for prayers and offering to our ancestors and after that, enjoy the meal together.

These are the usual dishes or more like Hokkien (Nyonya) traditional chinese dishes that we cook every year on the eve of Chinese New Year.

 

Curry chicken

‘Hoo Pheow Th’ng’ (Fish maw soup). The ingredients includes fish maw, home-made meat balls, few types of mushrooms, carrot, turnip.

The gas bladder (also fish maw, less accurately swim bladder or air bladder) is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth, ascend, or descend without having to waste energy in swimming.

In some Asian cultures, fish maw of certain large sea fishes is considered a food delicacy (Chinese name: 花膠). It is usually served braised or in stews. Fish maws are also used in the food industry as a source of collagen. Fish maw can also be made into a strong, water-resistant glue.

 

Fried chicken. Not a traditional dish. This was not prepared the previous years.

Of course ‘lor bak’ (marinated pork meat wrapped in beancurd skin) and ‘jiu hu char’ (stir fried dried squids strips with turnips) cannot be missing. We have it every year without fail. The ‘jiu hu char’ is best eaten with some sambal (pic above). The sambal we had was home-made too.

 

This dish is something similar to ‘jiu hu char’ but has a type of salted fish sliced thinly (in light brown color) and fried together with turnips.So instead of ‘jiu hu’ (dried squids strips), it is replaced with the salted fish. This dish was given by our grandma’s neighbour. We never tried cooking it before, so I’m not really sure what type of fish was used.

So what did you had for your reunion meal?