Chinese New Year 2025: How this Mumbaikar from the Chinese community continues to make the traditional sweet Funchowza

Kwan Tai Kung temple lights up on Chinese New Year at Dockyard Road. Pics Courtesy/Nascimento Pinto

Nupur Yi Shetty has prepared only 1.5 kilograms of funchowza, a traditional Chinese sweet made for Chinese New Year for this year's celebrations - a stark contrast from two decades ago, when her family would prepare nearly eight kilograms of this sweet item. The Mumbaikar, who is of Chinese-Maharashtrian descent, is one of the last few in the city to continue the annual tradition. Even though her husband hails from the Shetty community, she takes great pride in continuing such traditions, "Earlier, everybody including my aunt, cousins, nieces and nephews, nearly eight to twelve of us, would come together. A lot of hands are needed because it is a delicate sweet and took six to seven hours to make; we would prepare five to eight kilograms. Now, there are only four of us because almost 50 per cent of the family has moved overseas; so I make it only in my house."

(From left to right) Batches of funchowza laid out on plates for Chinese New Year celebrations; a portion of the traditional Chinese sweet after it is fried. pics courtesy/Nupur Yi Shetty

The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year, as it is more popularly known, is one of the only festivals that Mumbai's Chinese community celebrates. While last year was the Year of the Dragon, this year is the Year of the Wood Snake, and will be celebrated from today till February 12. The community here is dwindling in numbers, with only 4,000 people reportedly being of Chinese-origin. However, every year the close-knit community comes to usher in the new year at the only known Chinese temple, Kwan Tai Kung in Mazgaon's Dockyard Road. Nupur and her extended family of more than 38 people come together to celebrate it with a large feast that is usually a potluck at a cousin's place.

The 100-year old noodle-making machine is a family heirloom

Finding funchowza

Of the many dishes, the funchowza is always present, and has been a dish that she has been enjoying on the menu for over 40 years ever since she was a child. Nupur likes to call it the "Chinese version of an Indian shankarpali," to help Indians get the connection. Funchowza is a sweet made from flour, sugar and sesame seeds, and traditionally given as an offering to the ancestors, Nupur says, as the community doesn't believe in idol worship. After it is prepared, they relish it and distribute it among their family. Preparing it isn't simple, as it requires technique, one that the Mumbaikar, who grew up in Kalyan, has nurtured for 20 years now. She reminisces, "My mother did not know how to make it. So, my dad's sister would come home to make it, and that's how we learned the process." Nupur has now made it a family affair where her close family and friends get together to make it. "We use a 100-year-old noodle making machine to make the funchowza. It was handed by my eldest uncle to my mother who passed it down to me," she reveals.

A moment from last year's Chinese New Year celebrations

Traditional talk

The Thane-based doctor has passed on the technique and recipe to her daughter and hopes she continues it in the future. "She is keen on making it but not in large quantities." She also distributes the sweet to neighbours and friends around her. It may have to do with the Indian factor, she says, as people like this tradition. Nupur says while restaurants serve a version of it called honey noodles, it isn't authentic because honey is used instead of sugar.

Nupur Yi Shetty

Nupur remains the flag bearer of funchowza in Mumbai as she tries to convince more people to make it. Unfortunately, she says juggling people's timings doesn't make it easy to spread the tradition. Besides funchowza, Nupur says moon cakes are among the handful of other sweet treats, particularly in Mumbai, as compared to China. She explains, "There are a few desserts in Chinese cuisine because we don't eat many sweets, and dairy doesn't exist in our cuisine." It is in stark contrast compared to the Indian sweets but that doesn't stop her from continuing this tradition not without the family celebration, which will be in Karjat this year.