The Chinese zodiac works on a 12 year cycle; with each year characterised by a different animal. The year of the monkey* officially starts on Monday, February 8. People born in the year of the monkey are seen to be quick and clever, friendly and honest, but also temperamental and sometimes selfish. We love these steamed Monkey Buns – filled with chocolate and banana – available at Din Tai Fung until the end of February. *What’s your Chinese sign? You’re a monkey if you were born in the years 2016, 2004,1992, 1980, 1968, 1956 or 1944, and any year plus 12 thereafter.

This traditional vegetarian Buddhist dish is traditionally served on the first day of Chinese New Year Full of slippery wood ear mushrooms, fat choy (dried black moss to symbolise prosperity), fried tofu and crunchy peanuts and lotus seeds, it’s all about texture. We love this recipe by Poh Ling Yeow.

You officially have an excuse to play with your food. Yee Sang, or the ‘prosperity toss’, is an all-in affair, calling for everyone at the table into toss the salad with chopsticks, tossing the salad into the air. The higher it’s tossed, the most luck the participants will have throughout the New Year. It’s more of a salad than a recipe, made up of raw daikon, radish, carrots and fried dumpling wrappers, with sashimi (usually salmon) as fish symbolises abundance.

Unsure of the difference between lion and dragon dances? The more common lion costume only requires two dancers, while the an elaborate dragon needs several, to operate the poles. Lion dances are a key part of Chinese culture, performed at celebrations, to honour guests and of course, during Chinese New Year. Here’s where to watch the dance for free in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Canberra.

You’ve probably spied Chuen Hop at your Asian grocer. The eight-compartment (eight is a lucky number) trays are filled with dried fruit, nuts, candies and seeds, to be presented to guests when they pop over during the New Year period. The most popular items are lotus seeds, candied coconut, red watermelon seeds, cumquats, sesame balls and red dates.

But especially jiaozi (also called yuanbao). The Northern Chinese specialty, filled with pork and cabbage, resembles ancient currency. You can make them at home using this recipe, but using a circular wrapping techinique in place of the gyoza folds.

Wholeness signifies completeness. Whole fish should be served whole, with the head and tail intact, and during dinner, the back bone should be lifted out, rather than the fish flipped. Yu, the word for fish, sound similar to the word for abundance, so it’s a key dish. Try this snapper recipe, with a lime and ginger sauce.

Northern Territory farmers have gone into overdrive to harvest giant pomelos for Chinese New Year. The fruit, similar to yellow grapefruit, is used as a centrepiece for festivities, and symbolises ‘continuos prosperity’.