It's the Chinese New Year, 4708 by the Chinese calendar, and also known as the Year of the Rabbit. I am not Chinese by heritage, but my husband is, and almost everything I know about Chinese New Year, I’ve learned from him and his family.

Yesterday marked the official New Year, but it's traditionally a 15-day celebration, so it's acceptable to celebrate anytime within two weeks of the beginning of the New Year. Naturally, it's a great food holiday. 

 My family typically has a wonderful brunch at my in-laws home to celebrate Chinese New Year, and sometimes, we wait until the weekend for more convenient scheduling.

It’s not a particularly lavish brunch, but steeped in tradition and symbolism. The color red is used whether in clothing, tableware or dishes, and the color was believed to ward off evil spirits. The word for red in Mandarin also means “prosperous”, so lucky word, lucky color. Round or circular shapes are found throughout the meal since circular shapes are considered to be good luck and suggests abundance, fullness.

On the table you may find oranges (Mandarin or Clementines), seasonal fruit during this time in China. The word for orange also sounds like a Chinese word for luck or wealth. Dumplings are traditional; the filling inside is usually pork with minced garlic and ginger, served with Chinese vinegar. The dumpling shape is considered to symbolize gold nuggets (prosperity). Sweet rice desserts are served, too, in the form of steamed sticky rice puddings, cakes, or miniature dumplings made with sweet rice flour dough filled with red bean. These can represent a sweet life and abundance.

The main dish is a simple soup with misua, a very fine noodle made from wheat or rice. This type of noodle originated in the Fujian province of China. Toppings or garnishes may vary regionally, but the base is the same: noodles, broth, and a hard-boiled egg. Noodles symbolize long life, so you can imagine this dish is served on birthdays too. I always thought the hard-boiled egg symbolized fertility, but I learned that it also symbolizes wealth and prosperity with its gold yolk. Chicken broth or stock is used, sometimes minced or cubed chicken is also added. My husband teases that proteins (and garnishes) in the soup other than the egg is just "filler", but chicken sometimes represents good marriages, or a coming together of families.

Take a stroll down the noodle aisles in Super H Mart or Assi to find misua. There are several brands, but find the noodles that are thread-like, extra fine and wheat based. They sometimes come in small cardboard box containers, and the noodles are bundled per serving. Filipino grocers also carry misua, and are labeled as Chinese vermicelli. I hope you and your loved ones find time to come together for a bowl of soup and celebrate Chinese New Year.

Misua (also Mee-Sua or Miswa) Soup

This belly-warming soup will serve four people.

• 6-8 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless, medium mince)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 bundles of misua (2-3 oz. of noodles per bundle)
• 4 Hard-boiled eggs, shelled
• Garnish: 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1 lb. Chinese barbecue pork (store-bought, julienne cut)

In a large pot, bring your chicken stock to boiling. While it is coming to a boil, prepare your chicken by lightly coating it with cornstarch. Shake off any excess, and set aside. Once the broth is boiling, the soup will come together quickly. Drop the chicken into the broth a scant handful at a time and stir gently so they won't stick to each other, let cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add the noodles by bundle, one at a time. The noodles will cook within 2-3 minutes. Add more broth if needed, as noodles absorb liquid. Remove from heat. To serve: ladle broth into four bowls, divide noodles and chicken evenly between the bowls. Add one hard-boiled egg per bowl. Top with strips of barbecue pork and cilantro.