So, something like this was done last week, but focusing on a specific recipe. I did a Saturday Top Comments diary similar to the Hoppin’ John recipe, but discussing general superstitions about the New Year. Tonight, a kind of quickie diary talking about some of the other food traditions you might not know besides the American South traditions. So off we go.
To begin with, I’m pretty much half Polish. And even though my dad helped teach my mom to cook, both she and her mother (my grandma) kept the Polish traditions in the house. And for New Years, that meant eating pickled herring at midnight. For countries that are around the Baltic and North Seas, herring is such a plentiful fishing crop that eating it at the stroke of midnight will bring plenty to the household.
Similar to the Southern tradition of pork, beans, and greens, in Poland it’s tradition to eat a dish of pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. My mother actually would prepare a dish she called “Polish Soul Food” at various times, maybe once or twice a year. She rarely did it on New Year’s day, because it’s an “acquired taste”. Basically ham hocks, sauerkraut, and yellow split peas all cooked together. It took me a LONG time to appreciate that dish. My sister was the only other one that grew to appreciate it.
Moving into central Europe, many countries have a tradition of eating round things. Like fried dough balls, round pastries and cakes, and so forth. The round shape resembles coins, and also a sense of coming “full circle”.
Spain and other countries have an interesting tradition. You eat twelve grapes, one for each month, at each chime of the clock.
In Asia, there are many food traditions. One is to never eat white foods on New Year’s Eve. White is a bad luck color.
There are also conflicting superstitions: For instance, one should never eat winged stuff like chicken or turkey as they scratch backwards. However, it is a tradition to have a whole (feet and head attached) roasted chicken in Asia.
There are a whole lot of superstitions about how food moves when it’s alive and the New Year. Bottom feeders, and seafood that moves backwards and side to side are frowned on, because you want to move forward. So lobsters and shellfish are right out. Cows eat standing still. Pigs always root FORWARD. We used to always have duck on New Year’s more often than not, and they always seem to dive forward. Meh.
What did I have this year? In addition to my herring, I tweaked a recipe I’ve posted here before. I started with my franks and beans recipe. I began with some bacon and pork jowl, getting them crisp. I added onion and celery and gave them a sweat. Now the tweaks. Instead of just hot dogs, I added some cubed smoked ham steak along with a reduced number of hot dogs (I forgot that I was using Oscar Mayer Beef instead of the regular pork based cheap hot dog, oh well, I had pork anyway). I replaced my usual butter beans with black eyed peas. I then added some dino kale, mustard greens, and some leftover wakame from my tsukemono experiment (which turned out fabulous, thanks to Crashing Vor, and I’m making some more for a gathering next week). So good. Here’s a picture:
So that’s a brief tour of the foods that are lucky and will bring a prosperous New Year. I hope you are all still full of optimism and let’s work to make this a good year for all.
This week? I’m roasting a goat leg. My local mercado had it on sale for cheap—legs, shoulder, and ribs. I bought a leg. Yogurt marinade with onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, curry powder, and garam masala. Roasted low and slow until fall off the bone tender. I’m planning on doing it on a sheet tray with a rack with a little water in the pan. Any other tips and tricks would be appreciated.
So, What’s For Dinner at your place tonight?