vegetarian yee sang (鱼生)

Yee Sang is a raw fish salad that is traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year. It comprises strips of raw fish (such as salmon) mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments.

The Chinese are superstitious people. The Mandarin name for this dish is "yú shēng" (鱼生), which sounds like "yú shēng" (余升) (which means "an increase in abundance"). Therefore, this dish symbolises abundance and prosperity.

The fish and shredded vegetables are arranged neatly on a round plate before the sauces and condiments are sprinkled / poured over the fish and shredded vegetables. When you are ready to each the Yee Sang, each person uses a pair of chopsticks to toss the Yee Sang (see photograph at the top of this post). It is customary during the tossing of the Yee Sang to shout auspicious words such as "prosperity", "bonus", "increment in salary", "fertility", etc.

Nowadays, pre-packed sauces and condiments for Yee Sang are commonly sold at supermarkets.

If you were to buy the pre-packed sauces and condiments for the Yee Sang, all you need to do is to shread some vegetables (such as carrots and white radish) and add some slices of raw fish (such as salmon) and you are ready to toss the Yee Sang at home.

As my mother's eldest sister (Tuayi) is a vegetarian, she prepares her own Yee Sang. She also makes her own sauce for the Yee Sang. During Chinese New Year this year, I managed to obtain the receipe from Tuayi.

Ingredients (for the sauce)

1/2 bottle plum sauce
2 tbsp molasses
water

Ingredients (for the salad)

carrots
turnip
white radish
cucumber
lettuce
olive oil
freshly squeezed lime juice
ground peanuts
"tan san"
sesame seeds (toasted)
ground white pepper
5-spice powder

"tan san"

Method (for the sauce)

1. Mix the plum sauce and molasses in a pot.

2. Add enough water to form a smooth paste that is not too watery.

3. Cook the sauce over a stove until it has boiled.

4. Let the sauce cool down.

Method (for the Yee Sang)

1. Remove the skin from the carrots, turnip, white radish and cucumber. Also remove the centre portion of the cucumber.

2. Cut the carrots, turnip, white radish, cucumber and lettuce into thin strips.

3. Arrange the vegetables onto a large round plate.

4. Pour olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice over the Yee Sang.

5. Sprinkle the ground peanuts, "tan san", toasted sesame seeds, ground white pepper and 5-spice powder over the Yee Sang.

6. Using chopsticks, toss the Yee Sang as high as you can, shouting auspicious words (eg. "prosperity", "peace", "happiness", "fertility", blessings", "salary increment", "good bonus", etc) as you are tossing the Yee Sang.

7. When the Yee Sang has been well tossed, enjoy!