Sherpa's Blog

2020, Fri

Jan

17 What to Eat During Spring Festival！经典美味席卷春节！

By: David A.Howard

What to Eat

Spring rolls, Tangyuan, Dumplings…

I’m hungry now!

It wouldn’t be a Chinese festival without stuffing yourselves silly with loads of great food. Some of these foods might be weekday-dinner staples while you’re living in China – but as they’re said to bring luck around this time of year, there’s all the more reason to eat them.

With Spring Festival just around the corner, here are seven symbolic foods to get on your celebratory menu – and the good fortune they can bring you in the Lunar Year 4718.

不胡吃海喝怎么叫过春节呢！有的食物被赋予了福运，那么就更应该大吃特吃！以下是7道春节经典美味：

FISH

Image by J c via Unsplash

Fish is seen as a must-have on the CNY dinner table, and is most commonly served steamed. In Chinese, fish (鱼 yú) has the same pronunciation as 余, which means ‘surplus’ or ‘extra’. There are a lot of customs when it comes to eating fish during Spring Festival, like eating it over two days, not eating the head or tail, having the head pointing at the eldest or most distinguished guests and not digging in until said VIPs have had a nibble. Jump straight in at the deep end and try out all of these customs, and these pescetarian practices will bring you a year of plenty (don’t say that with a mouthful).

鱼是春节必备品，最常见的是清蒸鱼。“鱼”的发音与“余”相同，意思是“富余”。春节期间吃鱼还是有很多讲究的哦，比如至少要吃两天，不吃鱼头鱼尾，鱼头摆放要指向最年长或最尊贵的人。

DUMPLINGS

Image by @alexandwich via Unsplash

It’s not like any of us need another excuse to eat dumplings – but we’ll give you one anyway. In appearance, the humble dumpling isn’t too far away from silver ingots, the form of currency once used in China. Dumpling making is also a great little get together alternative if you’ve overspent on bottomless brunch this month – just make sure to include plenty of pleats when folding the dumplings, or you may be in for more financial woes this coming year.

这种不起眼的饺子很像古时的银锭。选择自制饺子也非常不错哦——包饺子的时候一定要包很多褶皱，这意味着来年财运会被牢牢包住。

SPRING ROLLS

Image by @mrthetrain via Unsplash

The crispy, delicious outer shell on these deep-fried dim sum rolls have a delightful golden colour, said to represent money and a wish for prosperity throughout the year.

香脆可口的春卷呈现食欲满满的金色，代表着财运滚滚和来年顺利。

TANGYUAN

Image by @zhengyuan via Unsplash

You may recognise tangyuan from China’s Lantern Festival, but these are also chowed down during Spring Festival too. Their round shape and pronunciation sounding a lot like ‘group round’ in Chinese, associate these balls with reunions and being together.

汤圆源自中国的元宵节，春节也可以吃！圆圆的形状加上发音听起来很像“团圆”，于是人们把汤圆和团圆联系在一起。

LUCKY FRUIT

Image by @sharonmccutcheon

This can refer to a number of different fruits, including the likes of tangerines, oranges and pomelos. You may have noticed a trend amongst Chinese foods for pronunciation and appearance giving certain symbolism to fruits, and these are no different; these fruits’ round and golden colour represent fullness and wealth, while the Chinese names for tangerine, orange and pomelo sound a lot like luck, success, and the verb ‘to have’, respectively.

这可以指很多种水果包括橘子，橙子和柚子。发音和外观给食物赋予了一定的象征意义，而金色代表着丰满和财富。

NIANGAO

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s a free Chinese lesson for you: the nián here means year, and the gāo means cake (New Year cake), but also sounds exactly the same as the Chinese world meaning tall or high. Put them both together, and you’re left with the idea of achieving higher each year, be it in business, exam results or even height.

年的意思是新年糕点，“糕”音同“高”。吃年糕会保佑你职场高，考试高，长高高。

NOODLES

Image by @goodeats_yqr via Unsplash

More specifically chángshòu miàn, meaning longevity noodles. These are extra long, and shouldn’t be cut or even chewed – so prepare your ears for an onslaught of slurping.

长寿面都是很长的面条，入口不应该嚼断一口吸入！

Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou

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News

2020, Thu

Jan

16 Favorite Thursday: Joe’s Pizza – Second Store on 509 Nanchang Rd

By: David A.Howard

JOE’S PIZZA!

YUMMY

Hi all, our old friend Joe’s Pizza has recently opened their second store at 509 Nanchang Lu.

亲爱的们，我们的老朋友Joe’s Pizza近日在南昌路509号（IAPM环贸商城后门）新开了他们第二家门店。

Over the years, Joe’s Pizza has become widely recognized as the Best New York slice by restaurant guides and publications such as Time Out New York, Food Insider, Eater, New York Magazine, and GQ Magazine, just to name a few.

多年来Joe’s Pizza最佳纽约披萨的形象深入人心，多家餐饮指南及媒体例如纽约Time Out，Food Insider, Eater, 纽约杂志和GQ杂志等均有报道。

In Shanghai, Joe’s Pizza has continued that winning tradition having been awarded the city’s Best Pizza by That’s Shanghai and Best Value by Sherpa’s.Joe’s Pizza uses only the finest ingredients – tomatoes from San Marzano, Italy, mozzarella cheese from Wisconsin, USA, and a very special flour blend made just for Joe’s Pizza that gives our slices that quintessential crunch when it comes out of the oven.

Maybe that’s why Joe’s Pizza is the favorite pizza of so many international celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, and Taeyang, as well as local Chinese celebrities Jackson Wang, Darren Wang, and Vanness Wu – all three of whom have been spotted grabbing slices at Joe’s newly opened location at 509 Nanchang Road, behind IAPM mall.

进入中国市场后，Joe’s Pizza也多次荣获That’s Shanghai的最佳披萨奖及食派士的最有价值披萨奖。为何Joe’s Pizza深受好评？原因无他，只因Joe’s Pizza选用最佳原材料——产自意大利San Marzano地区的番茄，源自美国威斯康星州的奶酪，以及专为Joe’s Pizza定制生产的面粉！这些用心严选出的原料按完美比例融合在一起，才赋予刚出炉的披萨神奇的魔力，使其面饼香脆，香气扑鼻。正是因为这绝佳的口感，许多国内外明星也是Joe’s Pizza的忠实粉丝。小李子, 卡戴珊, Big Bang的太阳以及王嘉尔，王大陆, 和吴建豪，后三位还亲自到访南昌路509号新店享用披萨哦。

joe5

We welcome you to come visit us at either of our stores, Wujiang Road or Nanchang Road, or order delivery using all major platforms. We will be open throughout the Chinese New Year holiday. We look forward to serving you an authentic taste of New York and the best slices in town.

我们衷心欢迎大家来Joe’s Pizza吴江路店和南昌路店，品尝正宗美味的纽约披萨，也可以从食派士下单哦。Joe’s Pizza两家门店在春节期间也照常营业，用心为您带来最地道的纽约披萨，期待您的光临！

Locations: Shanghai

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Events

2020, Wed

Jan

15 You’re Invited! Join Sherpa’s Free Dumpling Making Night! 饺子派对！

By: David A.Howard

FALL IN LOVE WITH DUMPLINGS

Jiao Zi 饺 子

Make dumplings together!

Seating is limited so please scan the above QR Code to RSVP and secure your seat.

名额有限请扫描下方二维码报名！

Details:

CNY: Dumpling Making Night

Free entry

19:00 – 22:00

Monday, January 20th

3B, 3rd Floor, Jinhuan Building,

485 Xiangyang Nan Lu, Xuhui District

活动详情:

食派士饺子之夜

免费入场

19:00 – 22:00

1月20号周一

襄阳南路485号金环大厦3B

Chinese New Year is just around the corner!

春节快到了！

via giphy

This special time is all about gathering together with family and friends to feast. Unfortunately, it can be a lonely time for expats who are far, far away from their homes.

这个特别的时刻将与亲朋好友度过。不过对于远离家乡的人来说，这可能是一个孤独的时刻。

That’s why we’d like to invite you to join the Sherpa’s family for a special Chinese New Year tradition – dumpling making (and eating)!

所以我们想邀请你加入食派士大家庭，来体验特别的新年传统做饺子！

via giphy

We’re going to wrap dumplings and cook them together with all of our expat friends. It’s a great way to enjoy a wonderful meal, meet new people, and get to know more about

Chinese cuisine and traditions.

大家可以一起包饺子、煮饺子、吃饺子！还可以结交新朋友，深度体验饺子文化！

For this event, we have a special teacher from Ayi Matchmaker who will show us how it’s done. Don’t miss out!

我们从心娄家政请了专业人员来全程教学！可不要错过哦~

via ayimatchmakers

We’ll see you soon for a fun night filled with dumplings and new friends!

做做饺子，交个朋友吧！

via imgur

FALL IN LOVE WITH SHERPA’S

Locations: Shanghai

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2020, Tue

Jan

14 Is There Anyone Who Doesn’t Get to Go Home for CNY? 春节不回家的人在干嘛？

By: David A.Howard

2020

BEST WISHES

Spring Festival is just around the corner. For most people it’s a time to travel back to their hometown and celebrate the arrival of a new year with their loved ones. However, not everyone gets to enjoy the festivities.

春节临近，人们都会回到家乡和家人团聚，但不是每个人都能赶到家。

There’re many important roles that just can’t be put on hold, not even for a few hours. If you’re a white-collar worker enjoying a whole seven days of rest, consider yourself lucky!

有很多岗位甚至不能休息，现在想想七天假期也很满足了。

Xi’an

via news.163.com

Zhang, a traffic warden in Xi’an, must stick to his post just outside of the ancient city wall during Spring Festival. His children, aged 7 and 9, have a break from their rigorous school schedule and will miss their baba, but they understand the importance of his job. “Of course I’d rather be with my wife and kids, but it’s an important job, especially during this busy time, so I’ll stay at my post and ensure others can get home safely and smoothly to be with their families. I’ll definitely make sure to send my wife a few hongbaos though – a happy life needs a happy wife.”

西安交通指导员张先生春节期间轮班，两个孩子已经7岁和9岁了，繁忙的学期结束十分想念老爸，但小小年纪也理解爸爸工作的重要。“我当然很想回去和家人团聚，尤其春节的交通十分繁忙，所以我留下来保障交通安全，好让更多的人顺利回家团圆，一定给老婆包个大红包，感谢她的温柔和理解。”

It’s not only traffic wardens and police officers that need to be on call through the holiday though.

随时待命的可不只有交警哦。

Beijing

via vobao.com

Xiang, a neurosurgeon in a top hospital in Beijing, also won’t get to return to his hometown of Chengdu for the lunar new year, “I must perform two critical procedures during Spring Festival. What can I say, I’m too busy saving lives to be at home with my family, it’s the life I chose. Without these complicated surgeries, my patients might not ever be able to see their families again. It’s tough, but my family understands my position. My 10 year anniversary is coming up though, so I’ve set aside some time for my wife and I to travel.”

神经外科项医生今年也没办法回家，“春节还有两台重要的手术呢，虽然不能赶回成都吃团圆饭，但在北京能帮助病人摆脱痛苦，好让他们健康的团圆也挺好。感谢家人对我的理解和支持，我和老婆结婚快十周年了，我们打算年后一起度蜜月。”

Guangzhou

via chinanews

Let’s not forget the hardworking train drivers making sure everyone gets back to their hometowns. Jin, a train driver from Guangzhou, will be up and down the country for most of the holiday. This is his 3rd year on the job, and although the trains are busy at this time of the year, he enjoys the festive atmosphere and the happy faces that are eager to go home. “Although I will get to spend some time with family, first it’s my duty to make sure others get home to their loved ones safely. I love driving trains, it’s my passion, I wouldn’t give up my job for the world. Choo choo, all aboard! I’ll get everyone home first and then I can relax over a cup of maofeng tea and a game of mahjong with my grandparents in Nansha.

广东乘务员金先生春节也需要在列车上度过，今年是他工作的第三年。即便春节会变得更忙，但他很喜欢这种喜庆的氛围和每个人的笑脸，“工作嘛，得保证大家伙都平安回家团圆，上车咯！到家后我想喝毛峰茶，再陪爷爷奶奶打打麻将。”

Shanghai

Although not as mission critical as police, doctors, and train drivers, we’d like to highlight one more person who isn’t going back to his hometown for the holiday – Wang moved to Shanghai from Binhai County nearby Yancheng City in Jiangsu almost 5 years ago. You guessed it, he found a job as a Sherpa’s courier! His wife and daughter are staying with his parents while his daughter finishes kindergarden. He chose to earn some extra cash during the holiday to save up for his daughter’s education. “It’s true, I’ll miss my family during the new year, but it’s great to set aside some extra money for my daughter’s schooling. Fortunately, the bus ride back home doesn’t take too long, so it’s pretty easy to visit my family. I’ll probably go back home to catch up in February.”

除了警察、医生和列车员以外，还有一部分派送员也不会回家。王先生来上海食派士快五年了，妻子、女儿和爸妈待在江苏，如今女儿也快幼稚园毕业了。春节他打算留在上海挣更多钱。“我很想他们，想给他们最好的，还好从上海到江苏用不了多久，大概两月份回去和他们团聚。”

However you’re spending the holiday, whether it’s on a beach, with family, or staying at home, don’t forget the hardworking people who are still on duty all across the country!

无论你和家人度假或宅在家中，不要忘记努力工作的人们哦！

We wish everyone a happy year ahead!

提前祝大家春节快乐！