Remembering mother on Chinese New Year

In 2 days time it will be the Chinese New Year. When my Mother was alive, this was the most important time of the year for her. I remember she used to start preparing for the occassion many weeks in advance, like sprucing up the house, changing the curtains and at times even changing the furniture sets in the house.

For Chinese New Year Eve, She used to cook a some traditional dishes that everyone used to enjoy, although it was the same recipe year after year. Hainanese Chicken rice was a must, and not any kind of chicken, but chicken she reared herself in the backyard in a coop, for exactly 3 months. The chicken was simply boiled for 20 minutes with ginger and salt, but the taste was really out of this world. Then there was our favourite stuffed fish maw and stuffed mushroom dishes. There was also the sea cucumber dish which I could never duplicate. The soup was none other than home-cooked sharksfin, painstaking prepared.

After her death 10 years ago, I tried my best to keep up her tradition by cooking the same dishes. But of course the dishes, however much I try, never tasted the same. Nevertheless, every year I do it, at least some of the dishes, to keep up the family tradition and because I know she would be happy that I do it.