Chinese New Year, or the lunar new year, is the biggest holiday in this part of the world but for many newcomers, it is a perplexing time. What is the difference between "tuen leen fan" and "hoi leen fan"? (The first is held on the equivalent of Chinese New Year's Eve while the second is the first meal of the new year.) Do the Chinese really only eat turnip cakes the whole time? To answer all these questions and to offer a refresher for those of us who have forgotten, here is our comprehensive guide on celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

What to Eat

The Chinese are a superstitious people and this is never more apparent than during Chinese New Year. Houses are swept clean before the new year to rid families of all unwanted spirits while children and fashionistas alike are excited by the requirement to buy a new pair of new shoes, preferably in red. Naturally, when it comes to what to eat during lunar new year, only the "luckiest" items are served. One of the most well-known is turnip cakes, a steamed pudding made with radishes and flour that is then pan-fried. The name in Cantonese is "lor bao goh" and the "goh" part of the name is homophonous to the verb "to rise or grow", hence its prevalence on Chinese New Year menus. If you've had enough of the traditional versions made with preserved sausages and dried shrimp, head to The Royal Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui East where chef Ho Wai Shing will be doing a more unusual baked crab with turnip cake or Cuisine Cuisine in IFC, which will be blending east and west with a turnip cake made with parma ham.

Another dish that is commonly eaten at this time of year is "poon choi", which translates literally as "dish in a bowl". Originating from the villages, this is a traditional dish eaten on festival days as the layer upon layer of ingredients symbolise abundance and prosperity. (The easy clean-up afterwards probably also helps!) Xiao Nan Guo in Tsim Sha Tsui gives this Cantonese traditional a twist by using a base of Shanghainese soup made with salted pork, beancurd and bamboo shoot. Other ingredients in the casserole include indulgent ingredients such as sea cucumber, fish maw, Chinese ham, Tianjin cabbage and pork knuckle.

Finally, another dish that is often eaten during this festive period is glutinous rice. Usually cooked with preserved sausages, this dish is not only extremely warming and hearty on a cold winter's night, but the sticky texture of the glutinous rice is also supposed to symbolise the glue that holds families together. We like the version at Sha Tin 18 made with sausages from Dongguan, dried shrimp, mushrooms and spring onion.

The Royal Garden: B2/F The Royal Garden Hotel, 69 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East. Tel: +852 2724-2666.

Cuisine Cuisine (IFC): 3/F IFC Mall, 8 Finance St., Central. Tel: +852 2393-3933.

Xiao Nan Guo: 10/F One Peking, 1 Peking Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2527-8899.

Sha Tin 18: 4/F Hyatt Regency Sha Tin, 18 Chak Cheung St., Sha Tin. Tel: +852 3723-1234.

What to Give

While perhaps not as crazy as Christmas, Chinese New Year is still a time when couriers and postal workers around the city are kept busy as gifts, mainly of food, are sent to friends, family and business associates. A hamper is the easiest way to go about it and big hotels such as the Island Shangri-la offers a whole range of hampers ranging from HK$1,588 to HK$3,288 which include delicacies such as tinned abalone, porcini mushrooms, Chinese tea and X.O sauce.

For that extra bit of good luck, we also like the Kowloon Shangri-la's Chinese pudding in the shape of fish, which are considered lucky as the Chinese word for "fish" is homophonous with the word for "surplus". If your intended recipient is not a huge fan of Chinese food, then Jean-Paul Hevin's dragon-themed chocolates may be a good idea. The first is the Dragon Caraibe, a cocoa bon bon with a red dragon and available in either vanilla and fruit ganache in dark chocolate or fig and fruit ganache in milk chocolate. We also like the Red & Golden Egg chocolate made of dark chocolate, adorned with gold leaf and contains three golden coins inside.

Do It Yourself

While dining out and sending hampers may be easy and convenient, Chinese New Year is about appreciating friends and family and heartfelt gestures such as homemade treats are always the most appreciated. This is why last week we went to Shang Palace in the Kowloon Shangri-la to tape a video tutorial on how to make your own turnip cake at home. But if you require more hands-on tutoring, Yan Toh Heen at the InterContinental in Tsim Sha Tsui is conducting a class on January 21. Led by executive chef Lau Yiu Fai, students will learn how to make turnip puddings, using daikon from Kagoshima that chef Lau personally went and picked in December. During the class, chef Lau will also demonstrate how to make peanut and sesame dumplings.

For reservations, please call +852 2313-2323.