Feb 10

Feb 10 8 Cannabis-Infused Chinese New Year Recipes

Happy Chinese New Year! It’s time to bid farewell to 2020 (good riddance!) and to honor our ancestors. It’s also a time to feast on symbolic food. Stumped? I’ve got 8 recipes below to help you kick off the Lunar New Year on a high note!

Hemp Green Dumplings, Photography by Monica Lo

Green Hemp Dumplings

Dumplings are important to eat on Lunar New Year. They symbolize wealth and prosperity because their shape represents ancient gold ingots. Money is green for us 💵 so I thought this was more appropriate.

When it comes to homemade dumplings, traditionally the green wrappers are made from spinach juice. But when you have gorgeous hemp leaves from Grow It From Home, you use what you got!

Green Dumpling Recipe

Crispy Sichuan Pork

Lunar New Year is supposed to be a celebratory time for families and loved ones to come together to make offerings to our ancestors. This double-fried Crispy Sichuan Pork is one of my late grandfather’s favorite dishes to make so I will be putting it out on the table for him. I’m making it mine with the addition of my Sous Weed sesame oil as a finishing touch. I hope grandpa doesn’t mind!

Crispy Pork Recipe

Nian Gao ‘Higher Year’ Cake, Photography by Monica

Cannabis-Infused Nian Gao

Nian Gao (年糕) is a homonym for “higher year.” This sticky rice New Year’s cake symbolizes progress in life year after year. There are both sweet and savory versions and various different ways to prepare it. This version is especially personal to me, as it’s mama’s recipe!

Nian Gao Recipe

Mama’s XO Sauce, Photography by Monica Lo

Cannabis-Infused XO Sauce

XO sauce, the ultimate umami-bomb, was invented in Hong Kong in the 80’s, and the perfect condiment to elevate your new year dishes. It’s chock full of dried seafood, peppers, allium, and porky goodness. Family friends would bring back little jars of XO sauce from their travels to share and we’d enjoy them tossed in fresh noodles or on stir fried veggies; everything it touches is fancy AF.

XO Sauce Recipe

Sous Weed / Sous Vide Infusions, Photography by Monica Lo

Sous Weed Pantry Staples

It’s important to go back to the basics. There are a few infused pantry basics you'll need to have on hand. I've got a universal recipe below for infused sesame, peanut, vegetable, and coconut oil as well as an infused duck fat, tallow, or lard. Luckily with the sous vide method, you can bag up multiple cannabis infusions and cook them all at once in the same water bath! It's like taking out ten birds with one stone.

Sous Weed Infusions

Longevity Noodles, Photography by Monica Lo

Cannabis-Infused Longevity Noodles

We eat Longevity Noodles for Chinese New Year because it symbolizes the key to a long life. It’s a quick and delicious dish to have on your dining table for special occasions and birthdays.

Longevity Noodles Recipe

Luo Buo Gao (萝卜糕) or Radish Cake is a classic go-to at dim sum. I love the crispy edges after they’ve been pan-fried and the insides are all warm and ooey gooey. It’s such a comfort food. You can also cube up the radish cakes and pan-fry with Sichuan flavors and Sous Weed sesame oil to bring it to a whole 'nother level.

Radish Cake Recipe

During the Lunar New Year, egg rolls symbolize wealth and good fortune because they are shaped like gold bars. I really love this recipe from Mama Mercedes, Gigi’s mom. It makes a large batch and freezes so well.

Lumpia Recipe