Chapter 563: Chapter 549: Traditional Must-Eat Dishes on Lunar New Year’s Day

The first day of the new year, out with the old and in with the new.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Huang Family Village was already stirring early.

The first thing to do after opening the door was to set off the "opening firecracker" for good luck.

Right after!

The elders in every household began bustling about.

Set up a table at the doorway with pastries and fruits, and light incense and candles.

Worship heaven and earth!

Pray to the heavens for the family’s peace and prosperity.

The home also prepares

The children, excited, got up early too, wearing their beautiful new clothes, all dressed neatly.

In short, on the first day of the new year, no one can sleep in.

Because of the "opening firecracker," almost from four or five in the morning, the sound of firecrackers in the village was nonstop.

The sound urges you to wake up early!

However, after each firecracker, the ground was covered in red debris, and the road outside looked like it was paved with a red carpet, very festive.

According to custom, the first, second, and third days are for celebrating the new year.

During these three days, no washing clothes, no pouring out dirty water or garbage, no sweeping the floor, and parents shouldn’t scold their children.

You also can’t borrow or collect debts during these three days.

On the second day, don’t visit others’ homes casually, don’t eat at others’ homes, and definitely don’t stay at others’ homes.

If someone lost a family member in the previous year, they would hold a feast on the second day, inviting relatives and friends to pay respects to the deceased in the morning, called "catching the seat," without separately visiting for the new year.

On the third day of the first lunar month, many shops begin to open.

In the afternoon, each household prepares for the activity of welcoming the Wealth God.

To welcome the Wealth God, you need to prepare "three offerings," tea, wine, and set off firecrackers.

On the fourth day of the new year, the Kitchen God checks the household registration, respectfully welcoming the Kitchen God back to the people.

Wenling people also start visiting for the new year on this day, generally visiting friends, exchanging gifts, regardless of their size, visiting and feasting together, called the "New Year meal."

In the past, when visitors came to offer New Year greetings, the host would often make soup noodles or soup cakes with pork, fresh clams, golden needle mushrooms, clams, dried cuttlefish, dried shrimp, and eggs. Now, the various visitors for New Year greetings are gathered on one day, with each family taking turns hosting a feast.

After the eighth day, the folk New Year visiting activities were basically over. (Some families continue until the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.)

And on the first day of the new year, the first meal of the day naturally starts with the traditional must-eat dish... fried sticky rice.

They say it’s to get good luck, implying prosperity!

Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice.

Frying sticky rice means using steamed glutinous rice, adding shredded meat, carrots, cabbage, egg strips, etc., and frying it a bit.

However, directly using steamed glutinous rice flour to fry can save time and effort, but the texture would be somewhat lacking, not perfect.

And what the Huang family is making is raw fried sticky rice.

The essence of this raw stir-fry is in "raw stir-frying," not boiling, not steaming, but stir-frying raw rice into cooked rice.

This is actually quite labor-intensive to do.

But it makes the glutinous rice taste more evenly, the texture more soft and chewy, and the flavor more fragrant and rich.

It achieves a marvelous balance between the rice, oil, and water.

But the downside is!

It’s labor-intensive.

Before making the fried sticky rice, the glutinous rice should be rinsed with clean water, placed in a bowl and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes to be set aside.

After soaking, the glutinous rice is drained, put into a bowl, adding a spoonful of cooking oil, mixed evenly to prevent sticking to the pot while frying.

Next, prepare the sauce, pour 5 ml oyster sauce, 10 ml soy sauce, 5 ml dark soy sauce into a bowl, mix well and set aside.

Also, prepare all kinds of ingredients like carrots, water bamboo, soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, celery, pork, dried tofu, soaked dried shrimp and eel, etc., washed and cut into small pieces.

You can also beat eggs, fry them, and cut into strips for later use.

Of course, there is no fixed pairing for these ingredients, and they can be completely adjusted according to personal taste and preference.

Then heat the pan, add diced fresh fat meat, pour into the hot pan, and fry until the transparent fat gradually foams, making a sizzling sound in the pan.

The thick slices of fat gradually turn golden yellow and float in the oil like little golden fish.

Add diced lean and fat meat, and stir-fry on low heat until it changes color. Once the aroma of the meat rises, add previously diced eel and shrimp, and continue to sauté on medium heat.

Add cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, add diced mushrooms, and continue to sauté for aroma.

Then pour in the soaked and drained glutinous rice, stir-fry on medium heat, ensuring every grain is coated with fat.

The process needs continuous addition of small amounts of hot water, turning up the heat, and stir-frying until the water dries up, then add water again.

Repeat this step until the rice is tender and soft. Once the rice is soft, it still requires drying out the water.

Repeat this three times!

Add diced tofu and continue stir-frying.

When the glutinous rice is cooked without sticking to the teeth, he adds diced water bamboo and continues to stir-fry.

Add diced carrots and celery, and continue to sauté to bring out the aroma.

This fried sticky rice dish, from the time the raw rice enters the pan, tests the cook’s culinary skills in terms of heat control, rice frying persistence, and the timing of adding ingredients.

A mouthwatering sticky rice, after multiple steps of frying, mixing, and steaming, should be slightly charred but not burnt, tacky but not mushy for the best state.

Previously, when Huang Tao fried sticky rice, he had to take turns with his mom, or else his arm would become sore.

Fortunately, Huang Tao could handle it all by himself now.

Thanks to his improved cooking skills.

In addition, with the Grandmaster Level of Stirring assistance, it was naturally a piece of cake.

He grasped the handle, using his upper arm to drive the forearm with force, the pot full of white sticky rice rolled up like a waterfall, then fell down.

Every time the sticky rice flipped up, it would mix with those ingredients.

Huang Tao’s stirring was as precise as a scalpel, with the pot being an absolute domain, and he could clearly sense the state of each grain of sticky rice.

Even though Song Cailian had seen this scene countless times, she still couldn’t help but slightly open her mouth.

Click-click-click, such stirring skill, amazing!

When the glutinous rice becomes soft and sticky, Huang Tao adds the pre-prepared sauce, allowing the glutinous rice to color, and stirs it a few more times.

When the glutinous rice is fried to the point where the grains are distinct, add egg strips, sprinkle a little green onions, and stir well.

This glossy, vibrant-colored fried sticky rice is done!

"Daddy, it smells so good!"

Newly dressed Xuanxuan walked into the kitchen, sniffed like a puppy, and said with shining eyes, "Are we having breakfast?"

"Yes, after washing your hands, it’s time to eat."

Huang Tao scooped the sticky rice from the pot into a bowl and, along with his mom, brought it to the dining table.

With hands washed, Xuanxuan eagerly took up a small spoon and scooped up a piece, just getting a bit of her favorite diced mushroom, the little one blinked her big eyes, unable to contain her joy, saying, "Delicious!"

"You little one, Grandpa and Grandma haven’t even sat down yet, and you’ve started eating already." Huang Tao couldn’t help but joke as he watched her greediness.

Xuanxuan obediently placed her small hands on her knees and sat up properly.

But there was a smile in her eyes, and she playfully stuck out her tongue at her grandmother, seemingly complaining to her about her dad’s strictness.

Song Cailian smiled casually, saying, "No problem, go ahead and eat!"

"It’s alright, we’re all family, go ahead and eat!" Huang Yide said lovingly.

Xuanxuan, already drooling, happily scooped up the fried sticky rice with her little spoon and ate it with gusto.

"Yummy! So soft and glutinous, Xuanxuan loves it!" Xuanxuan said with a mouthful, indistinctly.

"Indeed delicious, even better than before!" Huang Yide and his wife couldn’t help but praise it.

Huang Tao also couldn’t resist tasting it.

The glutinous rice was perfectly chewy and translucent, the grains distinct yet the flavor fragrant and delicious, winning with its homely taste despite lacking a strong wok aroma. Paired with the crisp and savory various ingredients, it was delightful without being too greasy.

In one word: Delicious!

It’s just a pity that there was no hidden task reward completed.

Otherwise, it would’ve been perfect!