Dutch donuts - oliebollen (Ολλανδέζικα ντόνατ)

It's Chinese New Year's Day tomorrow, and the Year of the Dragon begins. As with most cultural celebrations, symbolic food will be cooked and eaten: 

"The food eaten during Chinese new year celebrations is steeped in tradition and symbolism. Long noodles signify long life, chicken represents good fortune and served whole indicates family unity, and duck symbolises fidelity. Some dishes are eaten at new year because of the sound of the word in Chinese - fish, for example, (yú) sounds like the words for 'wish' and 'abundance', so eating fish dishes at the new year meal is a wish for plenty. Similarly, nian gao (traditional rice cakes) are especially popular at the spring festival as the name sounds like the words for 'higher year'."

New Year's days are associated with special dishes in most cultures of the world. Here is a Dutch New Year's treat: oliebollen. Tomorrow's Chinese New Year's Day is a good excuse to make them as any other.

 

Oliebollen are a no-fuss way to make donuts. The original recipe includes currants, raisins and finely chopped apples, but I didn't have these on hand; instead, I used finely chopped Greek quince spoon sweet and a finely cubed banana. These donuts aren't too sweet and they make a really nice evening snack for a cold evening. Because they contain yeast, the batter needs some time to rise, so you need to be a bit organised. 

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