Tag Chinese New Year

NATIONAL CHOP SUEY DAY

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Get your chopsticks ready!  National Chop Suey Day recognizes this American Chinese culinary cuisine each year on August 29. 

Chop suey, which means assorted pieces, is a dish in American Chinese cuisine. The main ingredients include meat (chicken, fish, beef, prawns or pork) and eggs. As the meat cooks over high heat, add vegetables (usually bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery). The dish is bound in a starch-thickened sauce. Typically, rice accompanies the flavorful dish. 

According to food historian Alan Davidson, chop suey is “A prime example of culinary mythology.” These food myths happen with popular foods. Illustrated below, several colorful and conflicting stories tell of chop suey’s possible origin. 

Chop Suey Stories

Some believe chop suey was invented in America by Chinese Americans. However, anthropologist E.N. Anderson finds another conclusion.  According to Anderson, the word tsap seui means miscellaneous leftovers and hails from Taishan, a district of Guangdong Province.  Many early Chinese immigrants traveled from their home in Taishan to the United States.

Another account claims Chinese American cooks who were working on the transcontinental railroad invented chop suey in the 19th century.

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A prime example of culinary mythology. ~ Alan Davidson on the origin of chop suey.

One tale stemming from the Quing Dynasty connects to premier Li Hongzhang’s visit in 1896. According to the story, his chef wanted to create a meal suitable for both the Chinese and American palates. Another version of the story tells that Li wandered to a local Chinese restaurant after the hotel kitchen closed. Even though the chef was embarrassed because he had nothing prepared to offer, he made a dish for Li. Comprised of leftover scraps, the chef created the new “chop suey” dish. 

Still another myth tells of an 1860s Chinese restaurant cook in San Francisco. After hours, the chef was forced to serve something to the drunken miners. He had nothing fresh to offer. However, to avoid a beating, he threw leftovers in a wok, providing a makeshift meal to the miners. The miners loved the dish, asking him for the name of the dish.  To which the chef replied, “Chopped Sui.”  

Traveling to the United States in 1903, Liang Oichao, a Guangdong native, wrote that there existed a food item called chop suey. While regularly served by Chinese restaurateurs, the local Chinese people did not eat this dish.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalChopSueyDay

Of course, the directive of the day would be to enjoy some chop suey. But why stop there?

  • Take a cooking class and learn to make it yourself.
  • Pick up a Chinese American cookbook and find a new recipe.
  • Share your favorite chop suey recipe.
  • Give a shout out to the restaurant that cooks it best. We love it when you do that!

Be sure to use #NationalChopSueyDay to post on social media.

National Chop Suey Day: Best Activities & Things To Do On National Chop Suey Day: Way to Have a Good National Chop Suey Day #NationalChopSueyDay
National Chop Suey Day: Best Activities & Things To Do On National Chop Suey Day: Way to Have a Good National Chop Suey Day
Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)#NationalChopSueyDay
Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)
From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States (Asian American Studies Today)#NationalChopSueyDay
From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States (Asian American Studies Today)
Chinese Takeaway Cookbook: From Chop Suey to Sweet 'n' Sour, Over 70 Recipes to Re-create Your Favourites#NationalChopSueyDay
Chinese Takeaway Cookbook: From Chop Suey to Sweet ‘n’ Sour, Over 70 Recipes to Re-create Your Favourites

NATIONAL EGG ROLL DAY

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Roll out the red carpet for one of the country’s ultimate comfort foods. National Egg Roll Day on June 10th delivers one American Dream story and satisfies a craving (you’re craving one now, you know it) at the same time.

The egg roll began as a Chinese-American tradition that extended to Vietnamese immigrants reaching for the American Dream. These traditions grew from the unfailing dedication of families in chop suey palaces serving hungry workers. Restaurants across the country perfected their own versions of the egg roll with a variety of finely chopped ingredients – pork, shrimp, cabbage, onions, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and seasonings, all rolled up in a thin pastry wrap and deep fried.

Not only is the egg roll a satisfying snack or an exciting part of a meal at home or away, but it’s played an essential role in making dreams come true for several generations of immigrants in the United States. And it continues to be in many ways.

Our ability to celebrate the egg roll is as close as our freezer, telephone, restaurant, or even our own recipe. The egg roll is versatile, too. Our love of the egg roll has evolved it to meet strict diets, exotic flavors, and so much more! What more could we ask for a celebration?

HISTORY

National Egg Roll Day

Van’s Kitchen founded National Egg Roll Day in 2019 to honor the company’s founding in June of 1986. Van and Kim Nguyen, two deserving Vietnamese immigrants, made their ultimate American Dream come to life with their passion for creating authentic egg rolls. Like many immigrant families who came before them, Van and Kim Nguyen came from Vietnam and established a home and family business in Dallas, Texas. They diligently hired hard-working employees, filled out paperwork in a language that was not their own, and created a business model based solely on their greatest strength: making authentic egg rolls for those they love. Using only fresh, whole ingredients and crafting the egg rolls in artisan batches, Van’s Kitchen sets themselves apart by maintaining their decades-long commitment to making every bite the best one.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Celebrate the hard-working history of the egg roll. Pick up a pack of Van’s Kitchen’s artisan batch egg rolls found in hundreds of grocers and convenience stores across the country on your way home and enjoy them with your favorite someone. Use #NationalEggRollDay to share on social media.

egglife foods, egg white wraps, 6 - 6 packs, 2 Original, 1 Everything Bagel, 1 Southwest, 1 Italian, 1 Sweet Cinnamon - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, No Flour, Sugar Free, Keto Friendly, Paleo, Low Net Carb, Protein Packed#NationalEggRollDay
egglife foods, egg white wraps, 6 – 6 packs, 2 Original, 1 Everything Bagel, 1 Southwest, 1 Italian, 1 Sweet Cinnamon – Gluten Free, Dairy Free, No Flour, Sugar Free, Keto Friendly, Paleo, Low Net Carb, Protein Packed
OCEANS HALO Organic Spring Roll Rice Wraps#NationalEggRollDay
OCEANS HALO Organic Spring Roll Rice Wraps
Easy Spring Roll Cookbook: 50 Delicious Spring Roll and Egg Roll Recipes#NationalEggRollDay
Easy Spring Roll Cookbook: 50 Delicious Spring Roll and Egg Roll Recipes
La Choy Sweet Chili Stir Fry Sauce & Marinade, 15-oz. Bottle#NationalEggRollDay
La Choy Sweet Chili Stir Fry Sauce & Marinade, 15-oz. Bottle

Feeling February

Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

While February is known to be full of paper hearts and chocolate, it has a few things going for it, despite being the shortest month on the calendar. February gets to the heart of the holidays that educate and make us giggle at the quirky ones too. February isn’t just about love; it’s more well-rounded than you think. 

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First off, let’s cover a little history of the second month in the year. February joined the calendar with January around 700 B.C. During the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, celebrants used thongs made from goatskin in purification rituals, which took place during the month, earning it the name februarius.

February wasn’t always second. When Numa Pompilius first added February to the calendar in 700 BC, he placed it at the end of the calendar. That’s right, February was the last month on the calendar. The adjustment aligned the calendar with the lunar cycle. However, Roman superstition avoided even numbers so the calendar resulted in every month having 29 days except one – February. Numa Pomplius placed this unlucky short month at the end of the year. And there, February remained for nearly 200 years when January and February moved to the beginning of the year. 

Julius Caesar attempted to align the calendar with the solar season creating the Julian calendar. Under the current Gregorian calendar, the leap year functions differently. Leap years are divisible by four, with one exception. Centennial years must be divisible by 400.

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?

February Months

Weather & Seasons

February is the third month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the snowiest month of the year. The Southern Hemisphere is wrapping up the last summer month. It should be no surprise that the full moon in February is named the Snow Moon. Keep in mind, though, that since February is a short month, it sometimes doesn’t even have a full moon.

What’s Your Sign?

Interestingly, one of the earliest flowers to bloom in February is the primrose which even blooms through the snow. It is also February’s birth flower. 

If you are born in February, you are either an Aquarius or a Pisces. Both are water signs, Aquarius represented by the water bearer and Pisces represented by a pair of fish. Your birthstone is the pretty purple quartz called amethyst.

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Feel The Love February

Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

While February is known to be full of paper hearts and chocolate, it has a few things going for it, despite being the shortest month on the calendar. February gets to the hart of the holidays that educate and makes us giggle at the quirky ones, too. February isn’t just about love; it’s more well-rounded than you think. 

First off, let’s cover a little history of the second month in the year. February joined the calendar with January around 700 B.C. During the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, celebrants used thongs made from goatskin in purification rituals, which took place during the month, earning it the name februarius.

February wasn’t always second. When Numa Pompilius first added February to the calendar in 700 BC, he placed it at the end of the calendar. That’s right, February was the last month on the calendar. The adjustment aligned the calendar with the lunar cycle. However, Roman superstition avoided even numbers so the calendar resulted in every month having 29 days except one – February. Numa Pomplius placed this unlucky short month at the end of the year. And there, February remained for nearly 200 years when January and February moved to the beginning of the year. 

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Julius Caesar attempted to align the calendar with the solar season creating the Julian calendar. Under the current Gregorian calendar, the leap year functions differently. Leap years are divisible by four, with one exception. Centennial years must be divisible by 400.

February Months

Weather & Seasons

February is the third month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the snowiest month of the year. The Southern Hemisphere is wrapping up the last summer month. It should be no surprise that the full moon in February is named the Snow Moon. Keep in mind, though, that since February is a short month, it sometimes doesn’t even have a full moon.

What’s Your Sign?

Interestingly, one of the earliest flowers to bloom in February is the primrose which even blooms through the snow. It is also February’s birth flower. 

If you are born in February, you are either an Aquarius or a Pisces. Both are water signs, Aquarius represented by the water bearer and Pisces represented by a pair of fish. Your birthstone is the pretty purple quartz called amethyst.

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Facts of February

Those born in February share their birthdays with:

  • Langston Hughes
  • James Joyce
  • Ayn Rand
  • Elizabeth Blackwell
  • Norman Rockwell
  • James Michener
  • Nathan Lane
  • Chris Rock
  • Michael C. Hall
  • Tomas Edison
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Martin Luther King
  • Nina Simone
  • Rosa Parks
  • Gertrude Stein
  • George Washington
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Alice Cooper
  • Garth Brooks
  • Ashton Kutcher
  • Mary Steenburgen
  • Jennifer Aniston
  • Ice-T
  • John Travolta
  • Smokey Robinson
  • Sidney Poitier
  • Drew Barrymore

The Anglo-Saxons called February Sol-monath, meaning “cake month.” Though they offered cake to the gods in February, we suggest having cake with some friends. And of course, there is a cake holiday to celebrate in February, too!

Throughout February, we enjoy chowing down on homemade soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, chili, stuffed peppers, and cherry pie. This is especially true in the Northern Hemisphere, where the winters get a little more than brisk. In the Southern Hemisphere, summer is peaking.

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Everyone loves to talk about Ground Hog Day, Valentine’s Day, and the Super Bowl in February. However, the big news in February is that pitchers and catchers report kicking off spring training for a new baseball season. What’s a truer sign of spring?