Amy Poon on the joy of Chinese New Year – and why nostalgia never tasted so good
Amy Poon on the joy of Chinese New Year – and why nostalgia never tasted so good
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For Amy Poon, Chinese New Year is a time for family, tradition and food that carries generations of meaning. The restaurateur chats to Hannah Twiggs about reviving her family’s legendary culinary legacy and shares her advice for celebrating with style – from tossing a Prosperity Salad to frying up nian gao.
![[Amy Poon with her father, Bill, whose Eight Treasure Duck remains legendary]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/09/IMG_18011x_1-1.jpg)
When it comes to celebrating Chinese New Year, Amy Poon believes that food is not just at the heart of the festivities – it’s the thread that ties generations together. “Reunion dinner on CNY’s Eve is really the main event for us. Before we eat, we pay our respects to our ancestors with offerings of food, wine and lit joss sticks,” she explains. Ancestral worship, or showing respect for one’s parents and elders, is one of the most influential elements of Chinese culture. For Poon, Chinese New Year is a time for family, tradition and the delicious dishes that embody both.
![[Celebrating Chinese New Year at Poon’s of Covent Garden – a Michelin-starred hub of tradition in the seventies]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/10/thumbnail_20241112_212058.jpg)
“I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I very much have a soft spot for nian gao, Chinese New Year cake. This is a pudding made of glutinous rice flour, steamed, sliced and pan-fried with an egg wash,” says Poon. The significance of this dish lies in its name: nian gao is a homonym for “a higher year”, symbolising a wish for each year to be better than the last.
![[Red ribbons, lai see, and clementines – symbols of luck, prosperity and joy at Chinese New Year]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/10/iStock-1360112627.jpg)
Another favourite is steamed fish, a dish steeped in meaning. “The Chinese word for fish, jyu, sounds like ‘surplus’, so a whole fish is always served at Chinese New Year dinners with the intention of wishing everyone more than they need, year on year.”.
![[Rich, fiery and full of flavour – this bowl of dan dan noodles is comfort food with a kick]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/09/thumbnail_.EmailTempImageHEV_1737990445317.jpg)
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