My friend visited me on the 8th day of the Chinese New Year. This visit is called Bai Nian in Chinese (make a new year's call), which is a tradition that relatives, friends, and colleagues visit each other during the first 2 weeks of the Chinese New Year to exchange each other's best wishes for the coming new year. She brought me a gift bag of cookies. "This is for you. I wish you a happy new year full of money and the happiness." Said my friend. The package is designed in the traditional Chinese style using red and golden colors for the images and the characters. "They are three types of cookies indispensable for the spring festival in my hometown." Continued my friend, who is from Canton, the far south of China. "When I was small, my mother made these cookies by herself. She was busy making a lot of them before the festival. Then when the new year comes and I went out on the street to play with the other kids, my pockets are always full of them. I shared them with my playmates so that we can enjoy playing long time without feeling hungry. When the kids came to my home, my mom stuffed their pockets also with these cookies. They are all oil fried and this symbolize that we are going to have a rich (oily) life all year long. The other housewives made the similar snacks too. Look. Their size is small. It is good as snacks. Taste them. They taste good. But those freshly made by my mother are better." I was intrigued by the happy childhood of my friend. My envy to try these cookies is also aroused. I took a mini ball (the size of a jujube) covered with the sesame seeds. "This is called the jujube with the smiling mouth." The Chinese name my friend told me is far more beautiful than my translation here. It looks really like a smiling face since some part of the ball is cracked when the small solid round dough is fried. It's crispy and has a pleasant taste. The ingredients are simple, consisting of only flour, egg, sugar and sesame seeds. I received a second type of cookies from my friend. It looks like a mini dumpling. But it is sweet since it is filled with crushed peanuts and other nuts. From the north to the south of China, people all like this shape which looks like the traditional Chinese gold nuggets. My friend hold a third type of cookies in the air, which is in spiral, with the size of a 50 cent coin and two colors (light yellow and dark brown) are intertwined. "You won't know its name. It is called the ear of a pig, or cat, or cow". What a funny name. I am amazed by the creativity of the people in Canton. Many names that they give to their local food specialties are interesting. But it is hard to translate. I took a bite. I like this best. It is crispy and has a mixed taste of sweetness and savory. "Thank you so much my dear for presenting me your home-town specialties. I will make the specialty of my home-town for you. " Replied I. My friend smiles and she knows what it is. It is Jiaozi.
If you are curious to these three treasures, maybe you can still find them at the grocery stores or pastry shops at Chinatown at this time of the year or you have to wait for the next Chinese New Year. :)
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