Yusheng! Raw Fish Salad Anyone?

Raw fish sald does sound a little odd, doesn't it? However, when you use the other name - Yusheng, everyone would know what you are talking about. Yusheng is a dish consumed during the lunar new year, most commonly on the seventh day, or 'Renri' - the birthday of humans. The main purpose of this dish is of course to bring luck and prosperity to oneself with the shouts of 'lohei' - toss it up!


Pre-packed Yusheng set available in all supermarkets. Just add the fish and fresh vegetables!







Typical ingredients can be divided into 4 categories:

1. Fish
The most commonly used raw fish nowadays are the ikan parang, mackerel and salmon. Not everyone enjoys eating raw fish, so substitutes like smoked salmon, abalone, vegetarian mock abalone, sharksfin and even caviar are used.

*Note: Read up more about consuming raw fish at http://myfishingfrenzy.com/raw_fish.php

2. Raw Vegetables
These includes the cucumber, carrot and white radish cut into fine, thin strands. Some has also innovated by adding alfalfa sprouts and enoki mushrooms.

3. Flavouring Ingredients
These are the brightly coloured pickled ginger, onion and radish, which usually come in reds, greens and yellows.

4. Condiments
This is the most important category as they represent all the good things we want happened to us! They are the candied orange peel, the sesame seeds, powdered peanuts and crackers, the five spice powder and plum sauce.


The second and third categories are arranged on a large round tray with the flavouring ingredients forming a ring and the fresh vegetables all in the centre.






When everyone has gathered around the table, the rest will then be added with the appropriate auspicious sayings.

• Peanut (hua sheng) - "Sheng Yi Xing Long, Sheng Cai You Dao" May your business prosper and you have many means of making money
• Sesame (golden sand) - "Cai Yuan Gun Gun, Jin Yu Man Tang" Money will be rolling in, With lots of gold and jade in your house
  
• Orange peel (ju, sounds like ji) - "Ji Xing Gao Zhao, Ji Xiang Ru Yi" Lucky stars shine upon you, you get everything you wish for
  
• Crackers (gold ingots) - "Zhao Cai Jin Bao, Bian Di Huang Jin" Invite the treasures in, Gold will be everywhere on the ground
• Five spice powder (Wu Xiang) - "Wu Fu Lin Men， Fu Shou Mian Mian" All good fortune will arrive at your door, with prosperity and longevity
  
• Plum sauce - "Xin Fu Mei Man, Tian Tian Mi Mi" You will be happy and contented, with a sweet and honeyed life
  
• Lime juice & Fish (yu) - "Da Ji Da Li, Nian Nian You Yu" Great luck and prosperity, abundance so you will never lack anything
  

Everyone will then be invited to use their chopsticks to mix the ingredients by tossing them, the higher the better, and saying - "Lao Ge Feng Sheng Shui Qi" Toss till you get high winds and great waves to bring your luck and prosperity in! Throughout the tossing, more phrases like "Yi Fan Feng Shun" Everything will be smooth sailing, "Hong Yun Dang Tou" Great fortune and luck is upon you, and "Bu Bu Gao Sheng" Every step will raise you through the ranks, will be uttered.

Enjoy your Yusheng with all the luck and prosperity that come to you!
Gong Xi! Gong Xi!