Taiwanese Hakka Lunar New Year

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.

The Hakka are a Chinese ethnic group known for their dispersed nature and tendency to occupy marginal lands and remote hilly areas. Indeed, the name “Hakka” translates to "guest" or "without homeland.” 

Over time, they have been pushed from northern China to the south and abroad via maritime pathways. From Mauritius to Malaysia, Taiwan to Jamaica, the Hakka have employed preservation techniques and certain cooking styles that have contributed to the international culinary scene, often unknown to most people. 

Henry created this class to celebrate Lunar New Year and to educate home cooks about Taiwanese Hakka cooking traditions. Come celebrate the new year with us!

MENU

Mei Cao Kou Rou—Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens

Kueh—Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Preserved Daikon Radish

Savory Tangyuan—Boiled Rice Dumplings with Pork, Mushrooms, and Shrimp in a Chicken Broth with Garlic Chives, typically eaten on the last day of Lunar New Year

This menu contains the following common allergens: Shellfish, Soy, Wheat. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Oakland dumpling maker, Henry Hsu’s past identities have included public health advocate, architect, and designer. He immersed himself in the local Bay Area food scene working at Oakland tofu maker, Hodo Foods for over a decade and most recently spent the past year working at Dumpling Club in San Francisco.  Henry’s perspectives on food are shaped by his Taiwanese heritage, Gulf Coast upbringing, Midwestern education and years of living in Latin America. From immigration to assimilation to seeking cultural identity through his food heritage, he began seeking out what Taiwanese food means to him through cooking, teaching, sharing and storytelling. He’s learned that cultural identity in food is simply not as monolithic and neatly squared away as we’d all like it to be! He also leads food tours, teaches dumpling making, hosts Taiwanese pop-up dinners & occasionally you can find him working a farm stand at a local market!

_{Photo credit: Henry Hsu}