Ultra Cool Mama

Lou Sang!!

Credits: Lil Sweetie Page kit by Kristin Aagard and LorieM Designs, available at Gotta Pixel,Polka Dot Potato, Pickle Berry Pop. Also available at Digital Candy, Enchanted Studio Scraps & Scrappindigikreations.

Did you know that ‘Lou Sang’ or ‘Yee Sang’ is a very Malaysian thing. You can’t find it anywhere else, only the Chinese people in Malaysia have it. Traditionally, we have ‘lou sang’ on the 7th day of Chinese New Year which is also known as ‘Yan Yat’ (day of humanity), a day traditionally celebrated as everyone’s birthday because in the past commoners don’t usually celebrate their birthdays so this day is dedicated for that purpose (so I was told by my Dad when I was a child). 

There is also meaning to ‘Yee Sang’… Yee/ Yu means fish and it also sounds like prosperity… and ‘Sang’ means to give birth or lively. The whole word play thing is also very much a part of the Chinese culture. Ask me, I know this as my grandmother will find double meaning to everything! She always leaves me speechless.

For the benefit of my non-Chinese friends reading this blog. What is Yee Sang made of? Well, it’s really like a salad as it consist of pickled papaya, radish (dyed in red and green color), pomelo sacs, ginger (also dyed to red and green color) all shredded very thinly, peanuts, sesame seeds,some crispy fried stuff and of course FISH, which is usually Salmon (as it is red in color). All of the above ingredients is arranged in sections on a very large plate. Then 5 spice powder and some pepper is added into the fish and laid on top of everything else. Pour over some oil and plum sauce and we are ready to Lou Sang!! 

The way to ‘toss’ is the Yee Sang which actually pulls the whole meaning together… So everyone has a pair of chopsticks in hand, gather round the large plate and toss it together. The higher the salad is toss, the more prosperity is gathered.. thus the name ‘Lou Sang!!’ I really wonder why the Chinese never invented the crossword puzzle despite their love and creativity for word play… After all the auspicious words and good wishes has been said and the salad is evenly tossed, everyone takes a little to eat but nothing is suppose to be left over. I don’t think anyone will refuse the last bits anyway since the ‘Yee Sang’ is suppose to be luck and prosperity… you wouldn’t actually say no to that now would ya?