Chinese New Year: Year of the Rabbit
Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy New Year)! The year of the rabbit is now underway and, according to Chinese tradition, it ushers in a year of calm, quiet and relaxation. What better way to celebrate such a peaceful new year than sharing a cup of Chinese tea with family and friends? Serve with delicious Chinese New Year Tea Eggs; this traditional dish breathes new life into your favorite tea!
Teas & Symbolism
Chinese New Year is abundant with beautiful colors, foods and imagery, each symbolizing blessings for the year ahead. Incorporate these traditions into your tea service to share New Year wishes with family and friends.
- Oranges and Tangerines (Abundant Happiness): Wild Orange Blossom Herbal Tea
- Peaches (Good Fortune): Prosperous Peach Oolong
- Lychees (Strong Family Relations): Go Go Goiji White Tea
- Red (Happiness, Joy and Sincerity; Keeps Evil Spirits Away): Six Summits Oolong- The red raspberries in this Chinese oolong naturally sweep beautiful red swirls into your tea as it steeps.
Chinese New Year Tea Eggs
These tasty marbled tea eggs from Northern China symbolize golden nuggets and are often served for prosperity in the new year.
6 eggs
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
2 tablespoons black tea (I love Golden Monkey Black Tea for this recipe)
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn (optional)
2 strips dried tangerine or mandarin orange peel (optional)
Gently place the eggs in a medium pot and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1-inch. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the eggs (leaving the water in the pot) and let cool under running cool water. Using the back of the teaspoon, gently tap the eggshell to crack the shell all over. The more you tap, the more intricate the design. Do this with a delicate hand to keep the shell intact. To the same pot with the boiling water, return the eggs and add in the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately turn the heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes, cover with lid and let eggs steep for a few hours to overnight. The longer you steep, the more flavorful and deeply marbled the tea eggs will be. In the photos above, eggs steeped for 5 hours.
Cheers to a happy and peaceful rabbit year!
Photo and Recipe adapted from SteamyKitchen.com
I am very excited to try this recipe! I miss everything about San Francisco, but mostly the kindness of the sweet people I worked for and worked with at Eastern Park Apartments. It was so much fun to learn about everyone’s traditions and enjoy them! Thank you, Heidi, for this article–I think I need more red in my life!