The holiday generally lasts about seven days, with travel and cleaning leading up to the New Year. Multi-generational families gather for the reunion dinner, considered the most important meal of the year, and share food, stories, conversation, and time together. 2015 commemorates the Year of the Goat, the eighth symbol of the Zodiac, and all family members born in goat years are celebrated.

While 2015 may be the Year of the Goat, every year is the year of the dumpling.  Ground or chopped meats or fish with ginger, sesame, and chilies are rolled in won ton, or dumpling, wrappers, and then boiled in hot salty water.  Serving them is considered to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year.   Though they are served year-round, they are a traditional accompaniment to the reunion dinner.

The varieties of Chinese Dumplings are too numerous to count, but here is just one recipe to try out if you feel inclined to celebrate the Chinese New Year, or if you just want to try the traditional fare:

Dumplings                                                                                 Dipping sauce

½ pound roughly chopped scallops                                                ½ cup rice vinegar

½ pound roughly chopped peeled shrimp                                        1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt                                                                            ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce

½-1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground                                  2 green onions, sliced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

½ cup chopped green onion

1 teaspoon sesame oil

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

1 finely chopped serrano chile

40 dumpling wrappers, 3 ½”

Place scallops and shrimp in a bowl with salt, pepper, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, cilantro, and serrano chili.  Mix well then refrigerate at least an hour.

Make the dipping sauce by whisking together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and green onion.

Place two teaspoons of filling into the center of each dumpling wrapper, moisten the edges, and pinch together into half-moons.  Pleating the edges seals the dumpling (and also makes them look pretty!)

Boil the dumplings about ten at a time in well-salted water until they rise to the surface, then an additional four minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and/or green onion slivers and serve with the dipping sauce.

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