Celebrate Lunar New Year with Taiwan’s festive favorites: fourfinger threadfin and yellow croaker. Symbolizing abundance, these dishes can bring fortune and flavor to your table.
In Taiwan, the mere mention of fourfinger threadfin and yellow croaker is enough to make one’s mouth water.
Yellow croaker is often pan-fried to crispy perfection or braised and garnished with scallions and garlic. Meanwhile, grilled fourfinger threadfin pairs beautifully with a splash of lemon, balancing its richness with a refreshing twist.
Lin Chin-cheng (林錦成), head chef at Four Points by Sheraton Yilan, notes that while steamed yellow croaker has a firm texture, pan-frying enhances its springiness and aroma. On the other hand, fourfinger threadfin, which spawns ashore in autumn and remains a prized seasonal catch through spring, is a centerpiece dish from Dragon Boat Festival to Lunar New Year.
As the new year approaches, these marine animal’s association with “abundance” makes them especially auspicious for festive feasts. Now is the time to fish for some good luck at the family dinner table.