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Food has always been important to my family. I grew up with 22 aunts and uncles, and my parents gave a particular significance to the time we all spent together during holidays and festivities. With 13 siblings on my mother's side and nine on my father's, there was never a dull moment. Especially when celebrating the Chinese New Year in Mauritius.

Born in England, I moved to Mauritius at age 6 and lived there until I was 10. Some of my most meaningful memories of that time are of the entire family sitting down for the big New Year's meal.

Unlike the Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar begins in late January or early February. This time, the lunar new year starts on Jan. 26.

The holiday involves much ceremony and celebration, culminating in a large feast of eight dishes (a lucky number) to send off the old year. As with many Chinese traditions, food takes on a special meaning, with particular ingredients and preparations indicating future wealth, prosperity and good fortune. Animals play symbolic roles during this period as well: This year is the Year of the Ox, which emphasizes prosperity through fortitude and dependable, hard labour.

After the dinner, my grandfather would give each of us a hung bao, a red envelope with gold Chinese writing that symbolized good fortune for the coming year. Since there were so many of my cousins at the meal, he would line us up to avoid handing out a second hung bao to the same grandchild. It is a memory I cherish.

Both of my grandfathers fled Beijing and settled in Mauritius in the early part of the 20th century. My paternal grandfather married a woman from France's Reunion Island, while my mother's mom was of mixed Chinese and Indian heritage. I returned to Mauritius once when I was 18, and I was kept busy visiting the two families. I remember being pulled aside and questioned by both sets of relatives about whose cooking was better and which I enjoyed more. In my family, food was always very competitive!

I came to Canada from England in 1994, and I've embraced the beauty of this country's landscape and have come to appreciate the diversity of its social values and customs. And I've passed on the importance of the Chinese New Year to my new family and friends. Our new ritual is to go out for dim sum.

But every Chinese family has a different tradition for New Year's banquet food. At these meals, it seems every aunt, uncle and close relative is an expert with an opinion. What matters most, however, is that the time is spent together with close family and friends.

My family's typical meal included hot pot, lobster salad, suckling pig and a whole fish, which signifies abundance and good wealth.

By keeping the fish's head and tail on, you ensure good fortune at the beginning and end of the year. In my recipe, I've included red goji berries, which denote good fortune and add a pleasant sweetness to contrast the ginger.

This is one of my favourite Chinese New Year dishes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

GINGER-STEAMED WILD BLACK BASS WITH STIR-FRIED CHINESE GREENS

What you need

2-pound whole wild black bass, scales and gills removed

Sprinkling of sea salt

1 large knob ginger, peeled and sliced with 1 teaspoon reserved and minced

1 tablespoon goji berries

6 or 7 stalks gai lan (Chinese kale), trimmed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced (optional)

½bunch coriander, picked and roughly chopped

2 scallions, trimmed and sliced thinly horizontally

Good-quality soy sauce

Sesame oil for garnish

What you do

Fill a large pot with hot water and bring to a boil.

Use a very sharp knife to lightly score the fish two or three times diagonally on each side, about a half-inch apart.

Place the fish in a bamboo steamer and evenly season with sea salt.

Layer several slices of ginger and the goji berries on top of the fish and place the steamer on top of a smaller pot of boiling water.

Steam the fish for 15 minutes or until the flesh is firm and opaque. Meanwhile, in a separate deep pot, salt the boiling water. Once it's reached a rolling boil, drop the gai lan in the pot to blanch. After about 30 seconds, once the stalk has become slightly pliable, remove the gai lan and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a well-seasoned wok or frying pan on highest heat.

Working quickly once the oil is very hot, add minced ginger and garlic. Stir vigorously for a few seconds until aromatic and slightly browned. Do not burn.

Add blanched gai lan and continue to stir quickly, coating greens with oil.

Add a drop or two of water and cook until the stalks are cooked through. They should retain a slight firmness. Remove from heat and place in a warmed serving bowl.

When the fish is cooked, remove and place ginger and goji berries over top on a warmed serving platter.

To finish the fish, sprinkle with chopped coriander and scallions and drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serves 4.

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Chef David Lee's Chinese New Year family banquet

Steamed jasmine rice with coriander

Sautéed gai lan

Shiitake mushroom hot pot

Peking duck

Roasted suckling pig

Lobster salad with goji

Chicken hot pot

Steamed black bass with steamed ginger and green onions

David Lee is co-owner and executive chef of Splendido in Toronto.

*****

Beppi's wine matches

Three good choices include sauvignon blanc, riesling and gewurztraminer. Known as aromatic whites, these wines have the exotic perfume to embrace the ginger. And they tend to exhibit crisp acidity. Good brands from Ontario include Peninsula Ridge and Strewn. From British Columbia, top picks include Peller Estates Private Reserve, Tantalus and Mission Hill.

Beppi Crosariol