On Feb. 19, many will celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year with symbolic rituals. The Chinese will use lion dances and firecrackers to chase away bad spirits as families gather with special foods and customs to usher in the Year of the Sheep (also called ram or goat).

When we were young, we would look forward to the Lunar New Year just as much as we would anticipate Christmas. The elders would offer red envelopes called li see that contained money, and for weeks, there would be the delicious new year foods.

Nien Gau

As youngsters, one dish we looked forward to eating was gooey nien gau, or steamed cake pudding. Made from sweet rice flour (no mai), better known by its Japanese name of mochiko, gau was a creamy, sweet treat. Steamed for hours, the Chinese blocks of cane sugar turned into caramel and the sticky rice flour became silky.

Sticky rice is a symbol of a family sticking together. "Nien" means "sticky" as well as "year," while "gau" means "high," as in achieving ever higher goals each year. The sesame seeds sprinkled on top offer hope for fertility and the red date, or jujube, in the center is a reminder that the Chinese consider the color red good luck.

In the 1950s, Rose Yuen Fong, now 97, learned how to make nien gau from a neighbor. Since then, health permitting, she’s steamed eight large gau each year for her husband, Alfred, and their three children’s families. Since it takes 3-1/2 hours to steam the gau, Fong would make two a day for four days.

These Chinese traditions are being carried on by the Fongs’ six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren with their rich mixture of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Native Hawaiian, Native American, Lithuanian, German and other European backgrounds.

Her traditional recipe uses steam to cook the gau rather than an oven or microwave. Fong uses ti leaves on the bottom of the cake to keep the rice from sticking to the pan, as well as to impart subtle flavor. It’s uncommon today to see ti leaves covering gau, probably because a spray oil does the job. But like the pandan leaf used for flavor throughout Asia, the ti leaf adds dimension.

Every family has a different version of gau, some incorporating a bit of grated ginger, others using coconut milk or grated coconut.

Those of a certain age will remember gau cakes the size of car tires, steamed in huge outdoor woks. Some hardworking person would stoke the fires and patiently add water to the steaming pan for 12 to 24 hours.

Our family arguably would enjoy the leftover gau even more than fresh. A few days later, when its texture became harder, the gau continued to be delicious thanks to my popo (grandmother) Louise Ho Lo, who would slice it, dip it in an egg batter and fry it in a skillet until it was crunchy on the outside and gooey inside.

But that was a treat. Our large family usually ate the gau so quickly we rarely had leftovers to fry.

Shanghai Gau — Microwaved!

Another style of gau that hails from Shanghai is made in the microwave. This version showcases dried fruit and nuts.

Its simplicity — mix, then microwave for less than 10 minutes — makes it a dessert you can prepare more than once a year. Unlike traditional gau, Shanghai gau calls for granulated sugar, keeping it white instead of brown.

Incidentally, gau of the old tradition was barely sweet; the gau of today no doubt was an adjustment to accommodate our Western preference for sweet desserts.

Two seasoned cooks of Chinese food take different approaches: Linda Chang Wyrgatsch of Aiea simmers dried Chinese red dates until tender and pairs them with pine nuts for her Shanghai gau. Barbara Ching of Diamond Head enjoys her Shanghai gau with dried dragon eye fruit (longan) and walnuts for crunch. As the Chinese believe a food’s resemblance to a part of your body helps that part, walnuts are believed to be brain food. Longan, commonly sold in Chinatown, gets its nickname from its white, translucent fruit. The dragon is a symbol of the emperor.

Lo Han Jai and more

Cantonese families and restaurants will be making monk’s food, or lo han jai, the vegetarian stew that is served to the lo han, or lesser gods. Each ingredient in jai has symbolism for good fortune, good health or fertility.

Instead of jai, northern Chinese families prepare delicious meat dumplings called jiao tzu, which are either steamed or fried.

Candied fruits and vegetables also are offered on the new year. These are to be eaten sparingly, one piece dipped in hot tea to sweeten the drink. Symbolizing peace and harmony, the sugared treats traditionally would be displayed on a round tray.

My favorites were strips of coconut (a symbol of togetherness), ginger and winter melon (wealth, virtue, growth and good health). Other candied items: carrots, lotus root, papaya and lotus seeds (believed to help bring sons into the family).

If we were lucky, my parents’ friends would bring boxes of the candies from Chinatown, and we would eat those sweets for several weeks.

Lynette Lo Tom is fascinated by foods that were cooked "back in the day." Contact her at 275-3004 or lynette@brightlightcookery.com if you know a home cook who has a specialty.

THREE RECIPES FOR GAU

Three tried-and-true gau recipes have been longtime family favorites of Rose Fong, Linda Chang Wyrgatsch and Barbara Ching. No matter which you prepare and prefer, here’s a tip to serve the sticky treat with ease: Cut the gau with a plastic knife to prevent sticking.

SHANGHAI GAU WITH RED DATES AND PINE NUTS
Adapted from recipe by Linda Chang Wyrgatsch

» 2 cups dried seedless red dates (hung jo)
» 1 pound sweet rice flour (no mai flour/mochiko)
» 3/4 cup granulated sugar (can substitute brown sugar, which will produce darker gau)
» 1/2 cup vegetable oil
» 1-1/2 cups water
» 3/4 cup pine nuts

Soak dried red dates until soft, about 1 hour.

In pot, place dates and add enough water to cover. Boil 15-20 minutes. Cool. Remove any remaining seeds.

Line a 10-by-5-inch microwave-safe baking dish with plastic wrap and lightly oil it.

In bowl, combine flour, sugar, oil and water and mix until it is consistency of thick pancake batter. Stir in dates and pine nuts. Pour into baking dish. Microwave on high 7 minutes. No need to cover.

Grasping plastic liner, carefully turn over dough and microwave another 3 minutes. If dough is translucent, gau is done. If not, microwave until cooked.

Let stand, uncovered, 30 minutes. Invert onto platter, slice and serve. Serves 12 or more.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 12 servings):380 calories, 16 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 5 g protein, no cholesterol or sodium

SHANGHAI GAU WITH LOONG NGAN AND WALNUTS
Adapted from recipe by Barbara Ching

» 1 cup boiling water
» 3/4 cup dried, seedless dragon eye fruit (longan)
» 1 cup water, as needed
» 2 cups (16-ounce box) sweet rice flour (no mai flour/mochiko)
» 1 cup granulated sugar
» 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
» 1/2 cup walnuts

Soak dried fruit in hot water for at least 10 minutes. Reserve water. Sort fruit, discarding stems and cutting off remaining hard parts.

Pour reserved water into measuring cup, then add additional water to make 1-1/2 cups.

Either using stand-up mixer or by hand, combine flour with water, sugar, oil, fruit and walnuts. Mix thoroughly (mixture will be consistency of thick paste).

Pour in doughnut-shaped plastic container or large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave

8 minutes on high. If gau is translucent, it is done. Continue to microwave if necessary.

Turn out on a serving platter and cool. Cut with plastic knife. Serves 12 or more.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 12 servings): 280 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 4 g protein

ROSE FONG’S NIEN GAU

» 1 pound Chinese brown slab sugar (wong tong; sold at ethnic markets and Chinatown)
» 1 cup white or brown sugar*
» 4-1/2 cups boiling water
» 2 pounds sweet rice flour (no mai flour/mochiko)
» 1/4 cup vegetable oil
» 1 tablespoon honey
» 8 ti leaves, wiped clean
» Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray
» 2 dried dates (hung jo)
» 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Dissolve sugars in boiling water. If sugars don’t dissolve, heat in pot over low heat. Cool.

Gradually add half of cooled sugar water to flour. Add oil and honey. Continue to add sugar water until mixture is consistency of thin pancake batter, smooth and free of lumps. If lumps remain, strain.

Prepare pans for steaming by washing and drying ti leaves. (Tip: To soften leaf ribs, microwave leaves 15 seconds.) Carefully cut out hard part of rib, about 1/3 of leaf.

Generously oil inside of two metal or glass bowls (approximately 7-1/2 inch diameter, 2-1/2 inches deep). Place ti leaves in bowls, 4 leaves per bowl, shiny side up. Spray or wipe oil on leaves. Pour batter into bowls.

Place one dried date in center of each bowl. Cover with clean, thin cloth or foil to keep water out of gao. Set in large steamer. Be sure water does not rise above rim of bowls.

Steam 3-1/2 hours. Check steamer regularly to be sure there is enough water.

When done, open gau. Spray or lightly coat top with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cool a few hours or overnight and serve. Serves 24 or more.

* White sugar makes a lighter-colored and flavored gau.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 24 servings): 270 calories, 3 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 10 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrate, 28 g sugar, 3 g protein, no cholesterol or fiber

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S