Kung Hee Fat Choy

(VectorStock image)

The house was empty, and it was time to catch up on some work. But not before I gave a nod to tradition and had a bowl of jai, aka monks' food.

Today is the Lunar (Chinese) New Year, when we usher in the Pig and say goodbye to the Dog. (While I am indeed grateful to be alive in this time and this place, the last 12 months had unhappy moments and was for me a dog of a year.)

The jai had been kept in the freezer from last year and still retained its texture. It was made from dozens of herbs and vegetables but wasn't purely vegetarian because it contained oysters. The drawback from keeping it in the freezer for an extended period was that the oyster flavor was strong, and the overall color had been darkened from the black mushrooms and fungus.

Making jai is a labor of love; it requires skill and patience--neither of which I have--but fortunately there are relatives in the current generation who have carried on the tradition.

Kung Hee Fat Choy!