Certain foods are eaten for Chinese new year that are believed to bring wealth, luck and prosperity in the coming year.

Celebrate the new year with these sumptuous dishes full of Asian flavours and the decadent crunch of macadamias.

Szechuan Chicken with Macadamia Topping

Szechuan peppercorns (zanthoxylum piperitum) are from a different plant to traditional black pepper (piper nigrum). As a result their flavour profile is unique. It is lingering and citrusy with lavender overtones and a fizzy aftertaste. This makes it an especially celebratory ingredient for Chinese new year. In this Szechuan Chicken with Macadamia Topping recipe, the peppery taste complements the crunch of macadamias.

Yee Sang (Good Luck) Salad

Tradition has it that the higher you are able to toss the ingredients in this lucky, sharable salad, the more luck you with have in the coming year. The macadamias are finely crushed and add a butteriness to the other delicate flavours in this delicious and traditional salad.

Dumplings

Dumplings are delicious at any time of year, but you can stuff them extra full for this important celebration. The macadamias add a hearty crunch to these potsticker dumplings that take their name from the way they stick to the side of the pot as you cook them, resulting in a golden and crispy finish.

Clay Pot Chicken

You will impress guests with this clay pot chicken recipe. But don’t forget to soak the pot for 24 hours before you begin! As it steams on a bed of rice the lightly flavoured chicken cooks in a zesty marinade and is then topped with crunchy nuts.

Mixed Asian Salad with Macadamia Nuts

After all the celebrations of Chinese new year, sometimes a simple salad is in order. Perfect for when all your decadent dining is done, the macadamia nuts in this salad give a buttery richness to the otherwise simple ingredients.

How will you incorporate macadamias into your Chinese new year? Head over to our Facebook page and let us know.