Thursday 11 February 2016

Chinese New Year and Pancake Day – foodie heaven!

It’s an exciting week for food, with both Chinese New Year and Pancake Day falling within a day of each other.

Chinese New Year is on 8th February this year and marks the start of the Year of the Monkey. Festivities will have started on 7th and will continue for at least a fortnight – so plenty of time to knock up a couple of Chinese dinners to enjoy (much better than any takeaway, and won’t leave you waking up dehydrated in the middle of the night because of an over-enthusiastic hand with the MSG). One of our favourites we stock is the Hoisin sauce.

There are all kinds of traditions associated with Chinese New Year – including the fact that on the first day of the new year you shouldn’t eat porridge for breakfast. Or wash your clothes. Or do any sweeping. (Actually, those last two sound quite good, less jobs all round!). People born in the Year of the Monkey (which includes 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004) tend to be quick-witted, clever and curious but also have a mischievous side – as you’d expect from our primate friends!

And as if Chinese New Year wasn’t enough of a reason to celebrate, there’s also Pancake Day on 9th February. This year, why not try an alternative flour to make your pancakes? We have lots of different kinds including coconut, buckwheat, rice and tapioca – ideal for those with allergies too. To top them we have to admit to being partial to indulging our sweet tooth with fruit or chocolate sauces, or a spot of syrup – whether that’s date, agave or maple. Yum!

Now, to go away and think of a way to combine the two. Black Bean Pancakes anyone?

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