Watch: Joanne Chang makes ‘Today’ show appearance to celebrate Lunar New Year with dumplings

It’s time to celebrate Lunar New Year and Boston chef Joanne Chang, the founder of local favorite Flour, made dumplings live on air of the “Today” show to mark the occasion.

On Tuesday’s segment of Today Table, Chang explained how the Lunar New Year is usually celebrated and why.

“Oranges are for good luck. The word for orange is the same word as gold and so you want to start off the year with prosperity and good fortune, so we always eat and gift oranges,” she said.

She went on to explain that it’s typical to gift red envelopes with some money inside to family and friends. Red being a color that signifies good luck.

Chang made dumplings using her mother’s recipe. The dumplings were filled with cabbage, minced ginger, pork, and chinese chives doused in soy sauce and sesame oil.

“You take the meat you put it in the middle and then you make a little taco. And then you pinch the top…then you keep one side flat and the other side you pleat. And you do that on both sides,” she said.

The dumpling should end up looking like a gold ingot, she said. The resemblance to the precious metal is why it’s typical to eat dumplings for Lunar New Year.

Mayor Michelle Wu also marked the holiday in a video on Twitter.

Both Wu and Chang expressed that the new year of the tiger represents a powerful theme.

“The tiger represents courage, and bravery, and strength, and vitality, and I think that’s what we all need in 2022,” said Chang.

Wu echoed the sentiment, expressing how many Boston communities have struggled over “multiple Lunar New Year seasons”, but that the city of Boston is looking forward to a “brighter” new year. This brighter new year is guided by the “strong” temperament of the tiger, Wu said.

Chang’s dumpling recipe can be found here.

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com