Almost all traditions related to Chinese New Year have meaning. Decorations, fireworks and food presented ahead of the event show gratitude and hope for luck and prosperity.

In Jakarta, one of the signature dishes that residents of Chinese descent prepare is ikan bandeng, or milkfish.

The milkfish, however, are not the usual size like those that are consumed every day. The fish should weigh at least 2 kilograms to be worthy of being served at one of the year’s biggest occasions in the city.

Other than in traditional markets, the huge milkfish are sold at street stalls on Jl. Sulaeman and Jl. Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, just days before the Chinese New Year, locally known as Imlek, which falls on Friday.

Palmerah resident Yuni, 50, strolled along Jl. Sulaeman on Monday to find the perfect
milkfish.

Yuni said she was looking for milkfish weighing 2 kilograms that she could cook and serve during Imlek. She planned to buy at least two milkfish, one to be consumed and the other to be presented as an offering at a temple.

“One will be cooked with soy sauce and we will boil the other fish for our ancestors,” Yuni told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

A family can choose to serve the dish the night before Imlek or on the day. Yuni’s family tradition is to eat the milkfish on the day.

The boiled fish will be placed as an offering at a spot dedicated for prayer in her house.

Yuni was not sure about the meaning of serving milkfish during Imlek, but it has been a family tradition for decades.

Another resident visiting the stalls that day was Kebon Jeruk resident Ambari, 73.

He bought one milkfish weighing 2 kilograms to be cooked and served on the night before Imlek.

As well as being a Chinese tradition, the Betawi, a group known as natives of Jakarta, also share the tradition.

“Betawi people buy the milkfish and share it with their relatives, but I buy it to be consumed with my immediate family,” Ambari told the Post, adding that the milkfish are cooked in soy sauce.

In addition, Betawi people have a tradition of giving huge milkfish to their relatives. Therefore, it is common to see Betawi and their neighbors of Chinese decent look for the fish at the same time.

The tradition to eat fish during Chinese New Year is related to fortune, said Chinese cultural observer David Kwa.

“The fish is served as a symbol of hope in that they will obtain more fortune and can save some of their money,” David said.

He added that to get the fortune, the fish meal should not be finished in one day.

According to David, the fish does not necessarily have to be milkfish, but in Jakarta the fish is considered luxurious.

In Banyumas, Central Java, the popular fish served during Chinese New Year is ikan semah, a type of ray-finned fish, while in Medan it is ikan kerapu or grouper fish.

To meet the demand for huge milkfish in Jakarta, fish sellers open temporary stalls in the Rawa Belong area ahead of the celebration.

Fish seller Nasir, 38, who usually sells fish at Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta, said the large milkfish are bred for a year in ponds specially for the Chinese New Year.

“This big milkfish can only be found in the market near Imlek because they are bred specifically for the event,” Nasir said.

Those weighing 8 kilograms or more are usually caught in the sea, he added.

The bred milkfish are priced at Rp 60,000 (US$4.40) per kilogram while the sea milkfish can be priced up to Rp 100,000 per kg.

Rojali, 60, who usually sells fish in Tomang Barat market, opened his stall on Jl. Sulaeman from
5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Rojali has been selling milkfish in the area for more than 40 years.

“I prepare 200 kg of milkfish every day. I get the fish from Muara Angke,” he said.

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