On January 24 and 25, everyone got together to be a part of the two-day Chinese New Year Carnival organised in Kolkata. The event, held on the grounds of Pei May School, saw a brilliant lion dance show. There were several food stalls serving authentic Chinese dishes too. Monica Liu, owner of popular Chinese eatery, Kim Ling, said, “As part of the New Year celebrations, a carnival is organised in China every year that goes on for about 15 days. We have made a similar attempt this year with a two-day carnival, which will close at 11 pm on January 25”
All images by Soumyajit Dey
Ru Jian, who is associated with FGS Buddhist temple in Tangra, prepared a Chinese delicacy, called Mahua, for the occasion. Elaborating on its importance, she said, “In Chinese culture, Mahua is a namkeen that has found a special place among all. It is especially prepared during the Chinese New Year”
While making his special Bubble Tea, Albert Kuo, owner of Boba Panda, said, “The Indian crowd is yet to understand what Bubble Tea really is. It's not just ice cream and milk which are blended together. This drink is all about flavour and to make sure we don't compromise on it, all the ingredients have been imported by us”
“The Chinese love what we bring to the table,” said Andre Dragidge, co-owner of AJ’s - BBQ & Grill, who was present at the venue. Jason of Andre and Jason Ezdani’s food stall, which has received immense love from the Chinese community at the past four editions of the Carnival, said, “Items that are of high demand here are the Barbeque Chicken and Grilled Burger”
