As the winter holiday season approaches, food becomes a way to celebrate tradition, bring people together, and savor the flavors of the season. Across the globe, a wide variety of dishes highlight diverse flavors and cultures.
One traditional Chinese dish commonly eaten during the Chinese New Year is longevity noodles. This dish dates back to the time of the Han dynasty, over 2,000 years ago. These noodles are thought to ensure wealth and luck. It is considered bad luck to cut the noodles before they are cooked, as the long noodles also symbolize a long life.
There are many different ways to make longevity noodles; the recipe we used is from Food & Wine. The noodles are tossed in a soy sauce and sesame oil mixture and include peas and bean sprouts. This recipe was relatively easy to make and combined many ingredients we already had on hand. The dish was ready in about half an hour and made about three servings.
The flavors of soy sauce and sesame oil paired well together to create a tasty sauce for the noodles. We also enjoyed the addition of the bean sprouts and chestnuts, as they added a crunchy and varied texture to the dish. It was the perfect easy dinner, and we will definitely be making this dish again.
Winter is also a perfect time to indulge in hot chocolate. Peruvian hot chocolate consists of a rich blend of cocoa, a hint of spice from cloves and cinnamon, and a creamy consistency from evaporated milk. This recipe is a way to try a new, simple drink while enjoying the holiday spirit.
To make this recipe, first incorporate the dry ingredients: unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, a pinch of salt, ground cloves and cinnamon. Then slowly mix in water, and once that is combined, add in evaporated milk.
The recipe was easy to follow. What stood out to us was the spice blend, which gave the cocoa an earthy hint.
The cocoa was rich and velvety, while not being overly sweet. The evaporated milk added a creaminess that resulted in a smooth, velvety texture. This combination of ingredients created a perfectly balanced and delicious drink—rich and indulgent, yet smooth and comforting.
These recipes were great ways to explore dishes from other cultures while celebrating the holidays.
