Now’s the time go all in on festive gold, jade, and pearls for the Lunar New Year.

Especially when it comes to “Pearl Meatballs.”

This celebratory dish was believed to have been served in the imperial court in central China, as far back as 700 years ago. Covered in glutinous rice, these juicy meatballs are thought to resemble pearls, symbols of unity and prosperity.

A dim sum staple these days, they are also very much a New Year’s essential. And best yet, they are a cinch to make at home.

Although there are many recipes for them, with their own small variations, this particular one comes from “Classic Chinese Recipes” (Hamlyn, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

This 7-inch-by-5 1/4-inch book may be small, but it’s mighty. That’s because it was written by Ken Hom, the legendary Chinese American chef, cookbook author, culinary instructor, and television host who helped popularize and demystify authentic Chinese cooking for Western palates. For a time, he studied art history at the University of California at Berkeley, then segued into teaching cooking classes, most notably at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

In this collection, he’s gathered together 75 of his signature recipes, including “Corn and Crab Soup,” “Chicken with Walnuts,” “Crispy Shredded Duck,” and “Sichuan Spicy Noodles.”

For these meatballs, Hom advises to soak the glutinous rice overnight. Admittedly, I did it for only 12 hours, and it still worked fine. So, if you are pressed for time, just know you can soak it for less.

Combine ground or minced pork with chopped water chestnuts, and a bit of minced ham. Fresh ginger, along with soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar flavor the mixture. A beaten egg helps bind everything together. And toasted Sichuan peppercorns, which I took the extra step of coarsely grinding in a mortar and pestle, add an irresistible, smoky, floral, and peppery warmth.

Drain the rice. Form the meat into balls, then roll each one in the rice. You’ll end up with about 16 of them.

Arrange on a plate, then place in a steamer basket to steam. After 15 minutes, the rice grains will have swelled up and no longer be translucent.

Just like that, they are ready to be served with soy sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

These meatballs are moist and tender, with the lovely warmth of ginger. The water chestnuts lend a bit of crunch here and there. To me, it’s the Sichuan peppercorns that really make these special, giving these meatballs a real depth with that characteristic tingling quality.

There’s no better way to celebrate the Year of the Horse than with these mouthwatering morsels that are way more affordable than real pearls, too.

Pearl Meatballs (Zhen Zhu Rou Wan)

(Serves 4)

250 grams (8 ounces) white glutinous rice, soaked for 12 hours or up to overnight

For the meatballs:

500 grams (1 pound) fatty minced pork

175 grams (6 ounces) fresh or canned water chestnuts, peeled if fresh, finely chopped

50 grams (2 ounces) cooked ham, finely diced

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger

2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons roasted ground Sichuan peppercorns, roughly pounded with a mortar and pestle

2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch

To serve:

Chopped fresh coriander to garnish

Drain the rice and spread it out over a baking sheet or in a shallow bowl.

Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and mix well. Take about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it between your palms into a ball about the size of a golf ball. Then roll the ball over the rice until the surface is covered. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture. Put the pearl meatballs on a heatproof plate.

Set up a steamer or put a rack into a wok or deep saucepan. Fill the steamer with about 2 inches of hot water. Bring the water to a simmer. Put the plate with the meatballs into the steamer or onto the rack.

Cover the steamer, work or pan tightly and gently steam over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Check the water and replenish it from time to time, as necessary. You will have to steam the pearl balls in 2 batches unless you have a two-tier steamer.

Arrange the pearl balls on a platter, garnish with chopped coriander and serve at once.

Adapted from “Classic Chinese Recipes” by Ken Hom

More Lunar New Year Recipes to Enjoy: Almond “Tofu” with Fruit Cocktail

And: Portuguese Custard Tarts by Jamie Oliver

And: Spicy Lamb Dumplings

And: Pork Belly Buns from Momofuku

And: Roast Chicken with Ginger and Soy-Whiskey Glaze by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

And: Oven-Steamed Fish with Crispy Garlic and Red Chile Oil