Hearty and steaming: Three popular Asian foods to beat the chill
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Winter in Christchurch is not as harsh as it is in some East Asian countries, where temperatures drop far below zero. Still, it can get pretty cold. These dishes will be sure to keep the frostbite at bay, as Wei Shao finds out.
Midnight Shanghai for ‘mum-made dumplings’
The secret to making yummy dumplings is “just-like-mum-made flavour”, according to Mia Zhao, the owner of Midnight Shanghai restaurant in Riverside Market.
Her mum, Angie Ke, 62, is in charge of dumpling making for the family business, which also owns Eightgrains at Little High, Table of Munchies in Merivale and several other eateries in Christchurch.
“I want her to take a break, but she loves cooking, and insists to always being there when making dumplings,” Zhao said.
“My dad is always helping her. My parents give the dumplings the extra real home taste, the soul.”
Opened in February 2020, Midnight Shanghai features an open kitchen where customers can see their dumplings being made with fresh ingredients. It provides dumpling lovers “a dozen choices”, but pork and chives dumplings are the favourite for most Kiwis, according to Zhao.
The restaurant also offers afternoon dumpling class from Monday to Thursday, “to teach Kiwis how to make dumplings step by step” and let them know more about the culture behind the food.
“Dumplings are for family gatherings [for Chinese people]. You can basically wrap in whatever vegetables or meat you like into them. It doesn’t matter,” Zhao said.
“What matters is that you make dumplings with your family, and eat them together around the table.”
Chinese people eat dumplings on the winter solstice, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the southern hemisphere, this year’s winter solstice occurs on Thursday.
They believe dumplings – stuffed with lamb, vegetables, minced ginger, and herbs like chives, selected to improve blood flow – would help them keep warm and prevent their ears from getting chilblains during a biting cold snap.
As an old Chinese saying goes: “If you don’t eat dumplings at winter solstice, your ear will be frostbitten and drop.”
Dumplings can be wrapped in different shapes. Some are folded into the shape of human ears, with several pleats on the side. Some look like yuan bao, an old Chinese gold ingot.
Zhao said she noticed dumplings were growing in popularity in Christchurch, and the easy-to-grab size made them “a popular and modern choice” for office catering.
Kimchi stew with four free side dishes
Hot and spicy, the kimchi stew is the most popular dish in winter at a local Korean restaurant.
“For me, kimchi is the soul food. I am eating kimchi for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Man Kwon, manager of Ye-Chon Korean BBQ and Restaurant, said.
Kwon is originally from Seoul and moved to New Zealand three years ago.
He said kimjang – the process of making kimchi, the fermented vegetables – was “a family event”.
“Kimchi and kimjang are part of Korean identity and culture. You can make kimchi any time of the year. It is very labour and time-consuming, as everyone in the family needs to take part in it,” Kwon said.
Ye-Chon Korean BBQ and Restaurant serves four side dishes for free, including kimchi, fishcake, sweet potato, and sesame bean sprouts.
“They bring different flavours and keep us healthy. Moreover, the hot chilli in the kimchi stew will warm your tummy and soul,” he said.
A big bowl of chicken noodles at Riccarton Noodle House
A simmering pot of soup fills the house with wonderful smells, so chicken noodle soup is “food nostalgia for many uni students from Asia”, according to Pauchanda Ratana, the owner of Riccarton Noodle House.
The Cambodian street food eatery has been on one of Christchurch's busiest roads for over 30 years, and its chicken noodle soup is “the most popular dish” in the cooler months.
“We put 50 whole chicken bones and other fresh ingredients in the pot every morning. It takes us one hour to make the soup,” Ratana said.
Staff keep the pot simmering throughout the day and add more chicken bones to keep it going if they get more orders, she said.
“It is root vegetable based. A steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup will definitely console us as the days get shorter and chillier.”