Toss some colorful 'yee sang' for a year of prosperity

Toss some colorful 'yee sang' for a year of prosperity

Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta

Yee sang literally means "raw fish" in Chinese.

But eating yee sang as part of the Lunar New Year -- or
Chinese New Year -- celebrations is more than simply eating raw
fish, as it is also a meaningful festive dish.

This colorful salad, which is typically made only around
Chinese New Year, is believed to bring prosperity and good
fortune to those who eat it.

The yee in yee sang means not only "fish", but also means
eternal wealth, while sang means not only "raw", but also
emerging and alive. In other words, this Chinese salad symbolizes
prosperity and longevity.

Finely shredded ingredients, such as white radish, carrots,
preserved winter melons, pickled cucumbers, fresh and pickled
ginger, pomelo pulp, coriander leaf, a generous sprinkling of
crispy crackers, chopped roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and thin
slices of raw fish makes yee sang a colorful dish that delights
the eyes.

These separate ingredients were laid out in a decorative array
on a large table in the Sailendra restaurant at the JW Marriott
Hotel Jakarta. The hotel ushered in the Year of the Rooster on
Tuesday with the traditional Chinese Lion Dance and yee sang.
Making a racket is crucial in warding off evil spirits and bad
luck so that good luck can enter, and a group of cymbal players,
drummers and gong players beat rhythmically and loudly as the
lions danced.

The Lion Dance has always been a demonstration of martial arts
skills. Each lion is made up of two dancers -- one as its head
and the other as its body. The lions move vigorously and
energetically, jumping, stomping, shaking their heads and scaring
the evil spirits away.

When the lions stopped dancing, the guests were invited to
participate in lo sang -- the salad tossing ceremony. Tossing the
salad believed to be more important than eating it, as lo sang
means to "stir up prosperity" in Cantonese.

Many diners, including several Chinese-Indonesians, looked
somewhat hesitant at first, being unfamiliar with the tradition.
As soon as the meaning of lo sang was explained to them, however,
the guests -- a mix of Asians and Westerners both -- gathered
excitedly around the table.

Everyone at the table, armed with a pair of long chopsticks,
mixed, raised and tossed the salad into the air together.

Young and old were encouraged to toss the yee sang higher and
higher to bring in good luck, prosperity and success for the
coming year, as it is believed that the higher the salad is
tossed, the greater the prosperity that will be enjoyed
throughout the year.

It is also believed that salad-tossers should cry "Low hei"
for good health, prosperity and longevity.

The salad tossing lasted less than a minute, but it was fun to
play with food. The colorful ingredients landed on the table and
floor, as well as our heads, and everyone was excited, hoping for
good luck and success this year.

Yee sang is on the menu at the JW Marriott's Pearl Chinese
restaurant from Feb. 8 to Feb. 23 -- but for the tasting, not the
tossing.

Variations are also available, such as sliced squiggles of
jellyfish and raw salmon slices, to mix with the vegetables. The
dressing is sweet and sour plum sauce with a drizzle of vegetable
oil, lime juice and a dash of white pepper.

For those who have never heard of yee sang, this Chinese raw
fish salad is worth a try, whether or not you need to be assured
of good luck throughout the year. At the very least, it would be
an occasion to try another exotic -- and slightly unusual --
cuisine. The bonus is that this food may actually bring you good
luck -- a positive thought to open the year.

JW Marriott Hotel, Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan, Mega Kuningan,
Jakarta, Tel: 57988888.