Filipino celebrity chef Sharwin Tee has always celebrated Lunar New Year. "In our family, much like Noche Buena [Christmas Eve dinner] and Media Noche [New Year's Eve dinner], we would prepare special meals for Lunar New Year," says Tee, who comes from a Filipino-Chinese family.
However, when Tee was younger, not many Filipinos understood what it was about. Although, even though Lunar New Year wasn't part of local tradition then, it has evolved to become more a part of the national consciousness.
Tikoy
Sharwin Tee explains Filipino Lunar New Year traditions. Source: Justin de Jesus
Tikoy (glutinous rice cake) is the focal point at Tee's family table during Lunar New Year – much like it is at other Filipino-Chinese and Filipino family tables.
"In the Philippines, tikoy or nian gao is the dish most associated with Lunar New Year. It was brought over by Chinese traders. You can find similar versions of it in countries like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam."
You can get two types of tikoy – one made with white sugar and the other made with brown sugar.
Different varieties of tikoy. Source: Getty Images
Tee, who authors , explains, "Over the years, new flavours were created such as buko [coconut] pandan, ube [purple yam] and cheese. A Chinese sausage-infused tikoy is also now available in Binondo [Manila's Chinatown]."
However, regardless of the variety, tikoy is a well-known Lunar New Year food. Tee says, "The stickiness and sweetness of tikoy connote family togetherness and good fortune. That's why it's central to Lunar New Year."
Unconventional LNY treat
Hopia, a pastry typically filled with bean paste, is another sweet that Filipinos may choose to eat for Lunar New Year, although it's not typically associated with the occasion.
"Hopia is enjoyed the whole year in the Philippines. Outside of the country though, hopia may not be easy to find. I think it's possible that because of the diaspora, many would want to enjoy it during Lunar New Year because it is reminds them of Filipino-Chinese food."
"There's the famous hopia ube from a popular local brand. It's said that the owners amassed so much wealth from it that they were able to donate volunteer firetrucks to the city of Manila," says Tee. "That's why the firetrucks there are purple."
Filipino baked cakes or hopia are a flaky crust filled with sweet mung-bean paste. Source: Getty Images
Aside from ube, other varieties include black sesame, leche flan (custard tart) and hoptik (tikoy as hopia filling).
"Hoptik is a great innovation because if you don't sell all of your tikoy during Lunar New Year, you can use the leftovers. Tikoy is a creative addition because it's so sweet and dense that it never spoils."
Get creative
Tee says you can serve tikoy and hopia several ways this Lunar New Year.
"In the Philippines, tikoy is still fried with an egg; but you can wrap pieces of it in spring roll pastry and then deep fry. You can even add cheese or jackfruit as stuffing."
On the savoury end, Tee suggests grilling or pan-frying tikoy and topping it with oyster sauce, bonito flakes and seaweed.
Sharwin Tee has reinvented the tikoy as a waffle seen here with white cheese ice cream. Source: Sharwin Tee
For a simpler dish, he says that using a waffle iron makes it crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
"A waffle iron will work on hopia too. Any warming element will make the bean paste softer and more luscious.
"A different method I also did in my cooking show a few years ago was to tempura-fry hopia, served with a dip of jam and cream. It was delicious!"
