Do the Prosperity Toss with This Easy DIY Year of the Ox Yee Sang
Merryn Tan
Yee Sang is a mixed salad dish symbolizing prosperity, good luck, good health and all the good things in one single plate.
The word “鱼” (yee) in yee sang is the Cantonese word for fish which also has a double meaning as prosperity.
“生” (Sang), also in Cantonese, means that the fish must be raw, and also holds a double meaning: to grow or prosper.
Together, “Yee Sang” means growing prosperity, hence it’s a must-have in the Chinese New Year dish list.
Highlighted The significance of tossing yee sang during Chinese New Year is to wish for abundance of luck and all things auspicious.Yee sang is a salad of fresh and preserved vegetables with the addition of crispy crackers, crunchy seeds, sweet sauce and spices.
Yee sang is made up of ingredients for the significance of their Chinese names such as pomelo (good luck), white radish (rising fortunes), cucumber (signifying returns), papaya (the best returns), crispy crackers (gold), sesame oil (good fortune) and more.
The beauty of Yee Sang is that it can be simple or complicated depending on your methods.
In conjunction with the Year of the Ox, let’s put in a little effort to create an ox out of yee sang.
Remember: The rule in making a prosperous yee sang is to use ingredients pertaining to good fortune, wealth and health.
First, use crushed peanuts and sesame seed to form the bottom half of the face.Next, use white radish to form the upper part of the face.Use red and yellow capsicum for the Chinese New Year hat and carrot for the horn. You can use preserved ginger or papaya for the ear.Add some greens for colour. This is also a good opportunity to use cucumber as it signifies ‘return’.Red is definitely a must as the colour of good luck. Use red ginger to add a nice splash of colour to the plate. Also because yee sang is eaten with raw fish, ginger is tossed in to kill bacteria and freshen up the palate.It’s customary to utter words of good intentions and blessings as we serve the yee sang. Squeeze lemon onto the salmon slices before serving while saying “大吉大利” (da ji da li) which means, “Wishing good luck and high profits for the new year ahead”.When we are about to add fish into the yee sang, we should say, “年年有余” (nián nián yǒu yú) which means “to always have more than enough every year”.Complete the yee sang with a red (great fortune) and green (eternal youth) packets of seasoning to be sprinkled together.Last but not least, top the dish off with crispy crackers while wishing “金玉满堂” (jin yu man tang), implying “May your home be filled with wealth”. Add the oils, sauces, spices and crackers as the finishing touch. Don’t forget to say, “甜甜蜜蜜” (tián tián mì mì) as we drizzle the plum sauce as it means “may your life be sweet”. Make sure to pour the oil in a circular motion to symbolise money pouring in from all directions.The higher, the better, as we toss the Yee Sang together! Also known as “捞生” (lou sang), it is an action whereby the higher we toss the salad, the better it is as good elevation is a sign of good luck for the entire year. So toss as high as you can and yell out your wishes for the year ahead! Don’t worry about the mess, as it is believed that the messier the table, the better the good wishes will be!
Now that I’ve completed my Chinese New Year series, I would like to wish all my lovely readers Gong Xi Fa Cai.
In case if you are wondering, Gong Xi Fa Cai means to wish you be rich and wealthy.
