Chinese Food Puns and Birthday Superstitions

Recently my uncle celebrated his 52^nd birthday and as is the beautiful tradition and social prescriptive it seems, that one always celebrates with food – our family went to our usual haunt, a seafood-based Canton restaurant in Beverly Hills, Sydney.

There is always a generous array and variety of foods we can order at a Chinese restaurant. However, menu selection can definitely be somewhat of a nuanced cultural tango between dishes and meats because of the Cantonese (which I speak) and Mandarin words they may sound similar to or the well-wishing phrases, which may arise.

To put this into context for English speakers (I apologise for non-English speakers, I don’t know any other languages well enough to know about their slang and pun traditions to create an example), but for example a pun manifesting from the consumption of eggs might be that they are egg-stremely egg-cellent (extremely excellent). You get the idea. I’m bad at puns. Moving on.

In Cantonese and Mandarin there exists similar puns and phrases, which translate into menu selection etiquette. This is particularly important at a celebratory affair like a birthday – for names, puns and meanings are perceived to symbolise or somehow impact what the year ahead for the birthday boy or girl will be; such is our superstition. And I love it, because I find it entertaining and moreover it is the only place and time – that is the dinner table of a birthday or new year – where I can seem somewhat witty because I’ve memorized all the puns or well-wishing phrases.

So these are the intricacies of our etiquette, or superstition.

First and foremost, you can choose three or five dishes, just never choose four 四 (sì). This is because it sounds like both the Cantonese and Mandarin word for death死 (sǐ) which as you can see has similar phonetics, but a different tone. For my uncle’s dinner we had eight 八 (bā) dishes which is a popular number because it sounds like the word 发 (fā). Whilst this word on its own takes on several meanings, it is commonly associated with fortune in the new year phrase 恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái) which means happiness and prosperity.

Clockwise from top left: poached chicken with ginger and garlic dipping sauce, lotus root soup, stir fried gai lan with ginger

From there, we ordered dishes which include lotus root soup, poached chicken with ginger and garlic dipping sauce, pippis, lobster with egg noodle, steamed fish with ginger and shallots, stir fried gai lan with ginger, stir fried water spinach with garlic and chilli and green bean and corn sweet soup for dessert.

pippis on fried vermicelli with xo sauce

stir fried water spinach with garlic, fermented tofu and chilli – my favourite!

YUM. Some of the dishes above do not have food puns, but there are a fair few where the language and puns are a factor in influencing the birthday dinner menu.

This is particularly reflected in our crustacean choice – the lobster. Actually, my uncle prefers the crab dish 蟹 (xiè) with vermicelli, but that has a “唉唉声” (Āi āi shēng) which means a rough sound, thus foreshadowing rough hurdles ahead. This crab pun only applies in Cantonese, and not mandarin, because as you can see from the above xiè and āi use different phonetics (therefore this pun is not applicable in Mandarin).

lobster, fried with garlic, ginger, shallots on a base of egg noodles

So instead, we ordered the lobster 龙虾 (lóngxiā) which literally translated in Cantonese means dragon prawn. From there, the auspicious idiom arises 龙马精神 (Lóngmǎ jīngshén). This phrase is used to describe the vigour and spirit of a dragon 龙 (lóng) to wish one an energetic new year filled with good things. This is also a phrase commonly used as a greeting during Chinese New Year 中国新年 (Zhōngguó xīnnián) to wish those around you good luck for the year. Such is the same tradition that is engrained here for my uncles’ birthday celebration.

Furthermore, we always go with the steamed fish 鱼 (yú) from which the phrase arises 年年有余 (Nián nián yǒuyú) where the last word sounds like the word for extra or remainder 余 (yú). This is supposed to mean that there is always something leftover, a surplus year after year.

steamed fish with soy, ginger and shallots

Such are the auspicious tidings, puns and superstitions that can arise from a Chinese Birthday dinner (as well as Chinese New Year).

I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it – for thinking about food has made me reflect on my culture, and has made me appreciate cultural experiences, that I’ve oft taken for granted. So thank you for reading and learning one of the many nuances of Chinese culture and food.

Sending you lobsters, fish and number eights,

Moony xoxo

p.s. Do you have any interesting cultural experiences and traditions with food? I would love to gain more insight about Chinese and other cultures too!

 

Red Date Tea 红枣茶

As I write this recipe, I question the category in which I’ve assigned it, that is under tea. However it seems the most appropriate as the recipe calls for dried red dates to be boiled, simmered and steeped – infusing water with a smoky, sweet sometimes also syrupy flavour. Therefore, as you can see – this post is labeled Red Date Tea – translated from the Chinese 红枣茶 (Hóngzǎo chá).

A single 红枣.

Red dates 红枣 (Hóngzǎo) also known as jujubes are prominent in different cultures. I only know of it through my Chinese upbringing, but I believe it is also a kitchen staple in Korean kitchens as well – I believe they also have a version of red date tea with ginger – as well as Indian foods. Today, I write about Red Date Tea, as I know it – because as a kitchen go-to and as a recipe in which Chinese households don’t usually think twice – it is therefore rarely written about. But people should read and know more because it is delicious and also healthy.

Water, egg, red dates, sugar.

Dried red dates or jujubes are known to have really amazing health benefits. It’s often used as a health tonic or in herbal medicines for balancing Qi and blood in your body. From my personal experience, and the information I’m about to tell you may make you uncomfortable (sorry in advance, I enjoy a healthy dose of tmi) or you may exclaim Hallelujah gal – but for someone who lives in a matriarchal family unit – whenever it is anyone’s time of the month, this recipe is a go to for replenishing blood.

Put the washed red dates, egg and water into a saucepan over medium heat. And there you go – life is delicious.

I’m not sure if the above has put you off or not – but it really is delicious and not medicinal– tasting in any way. It’s simply a hot beverage that is a great source of comfort, for warming your body or your tummy. It works a treat as an after dinner sweet snack because it is not just really tea~ hence my earlier confusion, we always make it with a boiled egg and serve it in a bowl. So, it really is quite a substantial and flavourful dessert which rests on the uniqueness of the red date, with no fuss cooking and very few ingredients. What a triangle of positives?!

Come on, you know you want some.

Sending smoky sweetness your way

Xoxo,

Moony

Red Date Tea (红枣茶)Recipe

• 15 – 30 whole red dates (30 – 60 red date halves), washed
• 4 bowls of water
• 1 egg, washed
• ½ tsp of sugar (optional)

Put the washed red dates, egg and water into a saucepan over medium heat. Keep a lid on the saucepan until the mixture comes to a boil, then leave the mixture to simmer with the lid off.

After approximately five to seven minutes, your egg will be boiled and fully cooked through. With a spoon, take the egg out of the mixture and once comfortable to touch, peel the shell. Place the whole egg back into the red date tea mixture. Reduce heat to low.

The tea will be ready after simmering for a further fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the red dates have softened.

Much of the water will have evaporated to approximately a third of what you originally had in the saucepan. The colour of your tea, depending on the number of dates/ the intensity will range from a golden yellow to a darker plum colour.

If serving in a bowl, this is a generous portion for one, or if you like the mug life, this recipe serves two.

Additional Notes:

• Feel free to add an additional egg if you’re serving more than one person. Alternatively, you can leave out the egg.
• Eat the red dates! They are very healthy. Did I mention this before?
• I personally don’t think the extra sugar is necessary, the dates give a lovely smoky sweetness – but it is totally up to you.
• IMPORTANT: You can buy red dates or jujubes at any Chinese grocery store or herbal shop! They are very accessible.

Red dates usually come in a bag like this at an Asian grocery store.