This week we will be making – Prawn Chow Mein!  

Fitting as Chinese New Year kicks off tomorrow (5 February) and 2019 is year of the Pig.

There is so much more to Chinese cuisine than just your local takeaway.  Chinese food is fairly healthy as dishes usually contain lots of vegetables.  This country’s cuisine is fascinating and differs from many others as it lacks the creamy, butter-based sauces found in many other cuisines. 

Chow Mein, which translates as ‘crispy noodles’, is mostly associated with takeaways, but when freshly made at home it makes for a satisfying tasty meal. There is a lot of speculation as to the exact origins of the dish, as most regions of China seem to have a version, but with such an array of interchangeable ingredients you can see why it is difficult to know its exact origins.

Often considered a staple ingredient of Asian cuisine, the word noodle in fact derives from the German word nudel. Many cuisines have their own version of noodles – from Makguksu in Korea to Western European Spatzle – and the term generally encompasses any thin, straggly foodstuff made from unleavened dough.

Noodles, along with long beans, are traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year, as the long strands symbolise longevity for the year ahead. The preparation of the noodles is generally up to personal preference, as long as the noodles are not cut or broken as this would signify shortening of life, which would definitely not be a good start to the year!

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year.  Celebrated by more than 20%, of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people all over the world.

This week we will be using the following skills: measuring, chopping, and mincing, cutting, slicing, mixing/combining, boiling/simmering and frying.

See you at the weekend Junior Chefs.