The Lunar New Year is around the corner - and that means, you have the chance to try the must-have Yusheng! While we won't be able to participate in the festivities with our friends and colleagues this year, you can create your own halal Yusheng at home and give this delicious prosperity raw fish salad a try.
What is Yusheng?
Yusheng is actually a uniquely Southeast Asian CNY tradition! The characters for Yu Sheng (魚生) mean ‘raw fish’ but also sound like ‘abundance of wealth or life’, signifying a hopeful wish for the future. The higher the toss, the more auspiciousness it’s supposed to bring. Fun fact: in Cantonese, Yusheng is known as Lo Hei, which means the ‘tossing up of fortune’ and refers to the way in which the Yusheng ingredients are tossed into the air before being eaten!
Each ingredient in Yusheng has an auspicious meaning behind it, and at some restaurants during the festive season, servers may even individually add in the ingredient to the plate while reciting a short auspicious phrase. For example, raw fish (Yu) is added because the phrase 年年有余 (Nian Nian You Yu) means ‘more abundance each year’, and crispy golden-fried biscuits are added because you’re wishing for 满地黄金 (Man Di Huang Jin) which means ‘the whole floor is covered with gold (wealth)’ ?
How to make Halal Yusheng?
While some Yusheng serve in restaurants are non-halal, you can make your own halal Yusheng at home to get into the spirit of festivities. The recipe is helpful if you're celebrating the Lunar New Year with a Muslim family member or relatives during the Lunar New Year.
Ingredients (serves 6-8 people)
- Few slices of salmon
- Sliced pomelo
- Grated carrots
- Grated green radish
- Grated white radish
- A teaspoon of peanut crumbs
- A teaspoon of sesame seeds
- 2 small packets of golden crackers
- Pepper and cinnamon for seasoning
- 4 tablespoons of plum sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 2 pieces of lime
Feel free to get creative and add other non-commercial ingredients to your halal Yusheng too! Some of the ones we've seen include cherry tomatoes, butterhead lettuce, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, strawberries, and more!
Steps to prepare halal Yusheng
- Arrange the ingredients neatly on a large plate (you can use the cheat sheet above as a guide)
- Once done, use a pair of chopsticks and toss the Yusheng into the air before being eaten.
Don't worry if it gets messy! If you're planning to try Yusheng during the Lunar New Year, we hope this guide will help you to prepare halal Yusheng at home!
Join us at Hello Spring Festival 2021!
From 5-19 February 2021, come and join us at Hello Spring Festival 2021, our first virtual event of the year! Get ready for some Lunar New Year fun with amazing virtual booths hosted by your favourite brands and engaging live shows featuring special guests. Don't forget to join in our lucky draw to win staycation packages, hotel stays, dining vouchers, and more! See you there ?