Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad)

'Yee Sang or Yu Sheng' is a salad made with fresh vegetables, fruits, crackers and usually raw fish. Also known as ‘prosperity toss’, yee sang is a must have during Chinese New Year in Malaysia and Singapore. It is a fun, colourful and delicious salad.

5 stars

Preparation 30 mins
Cooking 30 mins

Side

Yusheng, Lou Sang, Prosperity Toss with Salmon, 鱼生

Malaysian, Singaporean

Nyonya Cooking on Facebook
Nyonya Cooking on Pinterest
Nyonya Cooking on Twitter

Nutrition per Serving

822 kcal
19 g
84 g
2 g

Be the first to take a snap! Log in and navigate to Add Food Snap in the top bar.

Yee sang, a colourful salad used during Chinese New Year. Served on a big plate or tray, it consists of freshly shredded vegetables, fruits, fried crackers and fresh fish. This recipe uses ingredients which are typically served during Chinese New Year in Malaysia and Singapore.

There are many different types of combinations of ingredients that can be used. Tossing yee sang is great way to celebrate the festive season with family, friends and colleagues as the dish itself symbolizes abundance and prosperity.

History of Yee sang

This prosperity toss salad started from the Chinese community in Malaysia and Singapore as yee sang is not known in China or other Chinese dominant countries until the recent years. The idea of yee sang, however does reflect the Cantonese tradition of enjoying the flavours of fresh fishes.

Other combinations of ingredients in yee sang

Besides the ingredients listed in the recipe, there are many other ingredients you can use for yee sang. Here is a list of ingredients you can pick from to assemble yours.

Type Ingredient
Fish Fresh salmon, smoked salmon, raw wolf herring, jelly fish (sold fresh or prepacked in Asian grocers), abalone
Vegetables Carrot, capsicum, turnips, pickled ginger, white radish, red radish, green radish, kaffir lime leaves, red cabbage, jicama, coriander, pickled leeks, onions, pickled cucumber, spring onions
Nuts Roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
Fruits Pomelo, mango, mandarin oranges, young mango, papaya
Crackers Wheat crackers, fried coloured taro, fried wantan wrapper strips
Dressing Sesame oil, oil, pepper, plum sauce, kumquat sauce, rice vinegar, white pepper, five spice powder

Modern yee sang now uses all sorts of meat such as grilled eel or even char siu. Fruits such as strawberries or grapes are also added. Some restaurants add truffles in theirs making it very exquisite and different from the traditional yee sang.

The idea is to keep the yee sang colourful and to ensure that you'll be able to hold the ingredients with chopsticks and toss them high up.

How to prepare yee sang?

It is best to prepare yee sang in two or three separate days because of the many ingredients which require its own preparation. Here is a suggestion on time management to prepare yee sang.

Day 1: Fry crackers. They can be kept in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. Day 2: Prepare shredded vegetables and fruits. Pound peanuts if preferred. Day 3: Assemble all ingredients and serve together with dressing.

How to eat yee sang?

The general rule to eating this dish is to toss the ingredients as high as possible using chopsticks while expressing well wishes for the new year. The act of tossing the salad is referred to as ‘lou hei’ which translates to moving upwards in Cantonese.

It is believed that the higher you toss, the better your luck will be in the upcoming year. The ritual is to toss the mixed ingredients high in the air while shouting 'Lou Hey' which literally means to 'move upwards'.

Of course, you may say other well wishes that comes to mind with every toss. That is why it is not a surprise to have a messy table after tossing Yee Sang. I definitely would not mind especially if it brings forth good fortune. After all, it is the wish for our fortunes to rise and expand during the forthcoming year.


Ingredients

Servings:  
1 tsp
sesame oil
3 tbsp
water
2 tbsp
plum sauce
cucumber(s)
1⁄2
carrot(s)
1⁄4
white radish
1⁄4
pomelos
80 g
taro
1⁄2 tsp
food coloring
50 g
all-purpose flour
2 tsp
salt
30 g
unsalted butter
400 ml
oil
1⁄2 tsp
pepper
1 tsp
five spice powder
1 tbsp
peanuts
ginger (pickled)
1
lime(s)
salmon (smoked)
1 tsp
sesame seeds
1 tbsp
olive oil

Steps to Prepare

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) Step 1

Step 1 of 5

    • 1 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp water
    • 2 tbsp plum sauce

Prepare the sauce by adding sesame oil and water into the plum sauce.

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) Step 2

Step 2 of 5

    • cucumber(s)
    • 1⁄2 carrot(s)
    • 1⁄4 white radish
    • 1⁄4 pomelos

Shred cucumber (without seeds), carrots and radish. Remove skin of pomelo to obtain the flesh. Set aside.

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) Step 3

Step 3 of 5

    • 80 g taro
    • 1⁄2 tsp food coloring

Julienne taro into thin strips and divide them into two portions. Mix red and green food colouring into each of the portion respectively. Ensure the taro slices are evenly coated. Fry the taro slices.

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) Step 4

Step 4 of 5

    • 50 g all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 30 g unsalted butter
    • 400 ml oil
    • 2 tbsp water

To prepare wheat crackers, add flour, salt and cold butter into a bowl. Rub butter into flour until the mixture is even. Then, add water to form a dough. If the dough is too wet, add more flour until it is no longer sticky. Flatten dough and cut them into small rectangles. Heat up oil in a pot over medium heat to fry the cut dough until golden brown. Leave aside.

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) Step 5

Step 5 of 5

    • 1⁄2 tsp pepper
    • 1 tsp five spice powder
    • 1 tbsp peanuts
    • ginger (pickled)
    • 1 lime(s)
    • salmon (smoked)
    • 1 tsp sesame seeds
    • 1 tbsp olive oil

Assemble all ingredients on a plate with the salmon pieces in the centre. Add olive oil, plum sauce, pepper, five spice powder, sesame seeds and crushed peanuts onto the ingredients before tossing.

Published: February 12, 2013


0 Discussions

Give us your opinion! Log in and start posting.