It goes by many names, but no matter what you call it, yu sheng <\/b><\/i>(Chinese homophone for increase in abundance),\u00a0lo hei<\/i> or Prosperity Toss is the quintessential Singaporean dinner table ritual during the Chinese New Year. You\u2019re probably going to toss up a storm more than once, so this year, serve up this beloved tradition with a twist or two!<\/p>\n
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The traditional yu sheng<\/i>, has its place if you\u2019re performing this ritual with the family – especially if Grandma is a lo hei<\/i> purist who takes the symbolism of each ingredient very seriously. Conventional ingredients include fresh shredded carrot (good luck), green radish (eternal youth), and white radish (progress in the workplace), plus what you get in the packaged yu sheng<\/i> mix, and of course, thinly sliced raw wolf herring (also known as ikan parang<\/i>). Go for old-timer Kwong Cheong Thye\u2019s Yee Sang for your traditional yu sheng<\/i> fix.<\/p>\n
The substitution of wolf herring with the ever-popular salmon is nothing new; we say take the more extravagant route and get hamachi<\/i> (Japanese amberjack) instead. Alternatively, replace the raw fish entirely with the decadent likes of abalone (we picked New Moon Australian Abalone) or fish roe.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking to be more adventurous for the New Year, try switching out the deep-fried flour crackers (meaning pieces of gold in yu sheng<\/i> speak) for bits of crispy bacon\u2013 it\u2019s more work but savoury palates will delight in the contrast with the sweet plum sauce. You could also use smoked duck breast or roast duck in place of the raw fish slices to top off the dish.<\/p>\n
Everyone has a vegetarian pal or two, but the vegetarian yu sheng<\/i> options at restaurants are usually plain boring (with mock fish slices). For a change, we got creative with the veggies and sliced up lotus roots, beetroots, and mushrooms to go with Chef Chen\u2019s Green Tea Yu Sheng.<\/p>\n