'Yu sheng' for an auspicious year<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the first time ever in the country, Chinese New Year is being
\ncommemorated as a national holiday, and Chinese-Indonesians
\nacross the country may openly celebrate the age-old tradition of
\nnew year, known here as Imlek, with good cheer and an abundance
\nof good food.<\/p>\n
This year's new year falls on Saturday, Feb. 1, and will mark
\nthe first day of the Year of the Ram.<\/p>\n
Preparations for the new year usually begin about a month
\nbeforehand, when people start buying presents, decorative
\nmaterials, food and clothing. Houses are cleaned from top to
\nbottom to sweep away any traces of bad luck.<\/p>\n
The real celebration begins on the eve of the new year when
\nthe whole family gathers to feast on the specially prepared new
\nyear dinner, the reunion dinner. Tradition and rituals are
\ncarefully observed in everything from the food to clothing, to
\nensure an auspicious start to the new year.<\/p>\n
\"Popularly recognized as the Spring Festival, the new year
\nusually lasts for 15 days,\" said F & B Coordinator at Millenium
\nHotel, Central Jakarta, Yoyo Mulyono.<\/p>\n
Eating meat and slaughtering livestock is considered
\ninauspicious, and the special food prepared for the reunion
\ndinner is therefore largely vegetarian or composed of seafood and
\nfish.<\/p>\n
The Chinese word for fish, yu, has the same pronunciation as
\nthe word for \"excess\", and a special raw fish salad dish,yu sheng
\n(sheng meaning \"life\"), eaten on the day, is believed to ensure
\nlong life and abundant wealth.<\/p>\n
\"Yu sheng is an appetizer made from fish and a variety of
\nfinely shredded vegetables served with special dressings,\" hotel
\nF & B Director Roni Martadinata said.<\/p>\n
Salmon is served with the various brightly colored shredded
\nvegetables, the centerpiece being shredded carrots and white
\nradish, followed by yellow and red ginger, cucumber, onion,
\nshredded green melon and sweetened melon.<\/p>\n
The salad is first mixed with lime juice, raw fish plum sauce,
\nvegetable oil, cinnamon, pepper and sesame seeds to give a sweet,
\nbut strong gingery taste.<\/p>\n
Using chopsticks, the salad is traditionally tossed by diners,
\nas the Chinese believe that the higher you toss the more
\nprosperous you will become, Roni said, explaining that diners
\nwould usually recite wishes for good luck while tossing the
\nsalad.<\/p>\n
\"The act of tossing raw fish is referred to as lao qi or
\ntossing up good fortune,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other auspicious foods usually served during new year
\ncelebrations include prawns for liveliness and happiness, ho xi
\n(dried oysters), for all things good, an edible hair-like
\nseaweed,fai hai (angel hair) to bring prosperity, and jiaozi
\n(dumplings boiled in water), to signify a long-lost good wish for
\na family.<\/p>\n
Millenium Hotel's Hua Ting Chinese Restaurant will serve yu
\nsheng from new year's eve for the 15 days of the traditional new
\nyear celebration.<\/p>\n
The hotel will also organize a barongsai (lion dance) to kick
\noff the Year of the Ram.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yu-sheng-for-an-auspicious-year-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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