It’s a heartfelt wish, a poetic expression of hope that the New Year will unfurl an array of blessings and joy in the lives of others. Wan Shi Ru Yi. Wan Shi Ru Yi is a lyrical phrase that often follows the vibrant exchange of gong xi fa cai during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Like a gentle breeze carrying the sweet fragrance of As is common practice, friends and family members gather around the dining table come the festive season and toss the ingredients of the yee sang together, all while shouting auspicious Chinese wishes, to usher in the new year with good health, good luck, and good fortune. Not sure what phrases you should shout? Start by squeezing the lime (da li) over the dish while saying “da ji da li” – wishing good luck and high profits for the new year ahead. Fish. Then, add the fish (applies only with salmon and abalone yee sang or relevant seafood variations). Fish is translated as ‘yú’ in Chinese, which is a homophone for the word abundance. Every Chinese New Year, Malaysians gather to 'lou sang', a prosperity toss that symbolises prosperity, success and happiness Image via SAYS/Facebook The Cantonese practice of 'lou sang' is said to be a Malaysian-born practice of almost 80 years Why Do We Lo Hei During Chinese New Year? Lo Hei is a communal activity where families and friends gather to toss the salad ingredients while chanting auspicious well-wishes to bring in good luck. The dish plays on homonyms in Chinese: “yu” 魚 (fish) sounds like 馀 (abundance) and “sheng” 生 (raw) sounds like 生 (life), implying Happy Chinese New Year to everyone and may all your yee sang wishes come true. To make a reservation for the yee sang at Lai Po Heen, call 03 2330 8797, email [email protected] or order online for takeaway/delivery from their new Mandarin Cake Shop . To toss up prosperity, toss seven times and shout auspicious phrases and wishes for prosperity. For the Chinese people, consuming Yúshēng is considered auspicious in every way. In Malaysia and Singapore, having a Yee Sang Prosperity Toss is part of Chinese New Year Celebrations. Nothing gets a Chinese New Year get together to a more rousing start than an energetic lou hei yee sang (or yusheng) 捞起魚生 raw fish salad tossing session 🐲 Originally an informal Chinese New Year custom among Southeast Asian Chinese, lou hei yee sang has since spread to other Chinese communities around the world. The generic greeting is uttered whenever you meet someone during Chinese New Year. It literally translates to “congratulations on striking a fortune”, but it also means best wishes for the New Year. 2. Wan Shi Ru Yi May all things go your way, this is usually said after gong xi fa cai. 3. Huat Ah This means to prosper. 4. Tio Toto/4D Learn these Chinese New Year greetings while you're here: 15 Basic Chinese New Year Wishes You Should Totally Know By Now If you don't know any other greeting besides 'Gong Xi Fa Chai', it's time you learn some new ones! These phrases, when chanted, are like seeds sown for a prosperous harvest, echoing the vibrant spirit of the Chinese New Year. Hong Yun Dang Tou. As you nestle the carrots into the Yee Sang, you chant the phrase Hong Yun Dang Tou. This vibrant incantation serves as a mystical beacon, summoning good luck and heralding the approach of prosperity. Chinese New Year is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate it than with traditions and food. Add to your festivities Yee Sang, also known as Prosperity Salad. What Is Yee Sang? Yee Sang or Yú Shēng (鱼生) aka Prosperity Salad is a popular festive dish in Malaysia and Singapore. The Auspicious Ingredients in Yee Sang. Each ingredient in this Chinese New Year salad tells a story, each toss carries a wish, and each bite is a reminder of the blessings we hope to receive in the coming year. As yusheng is assembled, each ingredient is added with auspicious phrases or wishes for the coming year. For instance: As Yee Sang is a Malaysian thing, all the races in Malaysia, including Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other ethnic groups, know the significance of eating this special dish during Chinese New Year. According to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, his grandfather, Loke Ching Fatt, popularised the famous Yee Sang dish. Yee Sang, or Yusheng, is a mishmash of colorful, auspicious ingredients – shredded veggies like daikon, carrot, cucumber, jicama, and yam; slices of raw salmon or mackerel; pickled ginger; prawn crackers or flour crisps; jellyfish; mandarin orange or pomelo; crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds; and finally, a sweet & savory dressing made from plum sauce and Chinese Five Spice. Lai Wah restaurant still claims that they were the “world’s first to serve Chinese New Year yee sang.” Image: cilisos.my Interestingly enough, yee sang (alternatively named Yu Sheng or Lou Sang), is most commonly practised during CNY only in Malaysia and Singapore, and is practically unheard of in other Chinese-populated countries. Today, Yee Sang is served on the eve of the Chinese New Year right through Chap Goh Mei (fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year). The restaurants have gotten really creative over the years. Apart from Yee Sang, which means “increase in abundance and vigor”, they also offer Pau Sang, with pau yee (abalone), meaning “guaranteed abundance and Who Invented Yee Sang? There is much debate about where yee sang originated. Some people say Malaysia whilst others say Singapore. According to one set of claims, the Malaysian version of this Chinese New Year salad came about when a catering business owner from Seremban, Loke Ching Fatt, reinvented the traditional Chinese dish in the 1930s to save his business after it was hit from the As the Chinese New Year draws near, families gather in anticipation of the most delightful tradition, the reunion dinner. Amidst the joyous laughter and delectable dishes, the star of the show is Yee Sang, which is also known as Lou Hei. Yee Sang or Prosperity Toss is the must-have dish as part of the Chinese New Year dinner due to its symbolism of "good luck" for the new year. It is actually a mixed salad which consists of finely shredded vegetables, fruits, some colourful condiments (to make the dish more festive) and raw fish tossed in a plum sauce dressing.
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