At the start of every year, China and East Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam burst into a flurry of activity in celebration of spring’s arrival. This festive period is known as Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, and it typically commences on the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year, Chinese New Year falls on 29 January.
This spring festival is commemorated by family reunions, ancestral worship, lively lion and dragon dances, fireworks and sumptuous feasts. In Singapore and Malaysia, a mainstay of the feasting is the tossing of yu sheng, a raw fish salad beloved for its lucky symbolism. Here are seven things to know about this unique custom:
1. Yu sheng is deemed auspicious due to how it sounds
Yu sheng (魚生) literally means ‘raw fish’ in Mandarin, but it is a homophone for 余升, a term that roughly translates to “increase in abundance”. Because of its namesake, eating yu sheng is said to bring an abundance of prosperity and good health to one’s home, workplace and community for the upcoming year.
2. It’s a big toss-up
The dish is also sometimes called lo hei in reference to the ritual of communal tossing that’s performed before eating it. A typical yu sheng dish consists of thinly sliced raw fish, shredded or pickled carrot, radish and cucumber, candied citrus peel or melon, bits of fresh pomelo, chopped peanuts, fried wonton skin, five-spice powder, plum sauce, hoisin sauce and oil.
During a Chinese New Year reunion feast, each of the ingredients is added one at a time to a large platter, and everyone present utters an auspicious phrase that corresponds with the name of ingredient being added. Once all the ingredients are in the platter, everyone gathers round the table with chopsticks to simultaneously toss everything together as high as possible, while shouting lo hei – a Cantonese incantation meaning to “toss up good fortune” – seven times. This rambunctious ritual is a way to celebrate togetherness and a collective hope for good fortune in the year ahead.
3. Every ingredient has its own lucky phrase
The name of each ingredient used in a yu sheng dish is evocative of one or more auspicious words that serve as prompts for good-luck invocations. Here are some examples: When adding the raw fish or yu, say “nian nian you yu”, which means “abundance over the years”. When adding the pomelo, say “da ji da li” (“good luck and great prosperity”). When adding the oil, say “cai yuan guang jin”, which means “plentiful wealth from all directions”. When adding the golden crackers, say, “man di huang jin”, which means “abundant and overflowing wealth”. When adding the plum sauce, say, “tian tian mi mi”, which loosely translates to “sweet and loving relationships”.
4. This raw fish salad has seen much innovation over the years
Raw grass carp was the original fish of choice for this dish, but it was soon replaced with wolf herring or mackerel. These days, it is common for restaurants use salmon, abalone and even lobster in the dish. Other seafood such as octopus, eel and uni often also make an appearance.
5. A celebratory dish with ancient origins…
Yu sheng is said to have originated from Guangdong province in ancient China, during the Zhou Dynasty. Fishermen along the coast of Guangzhou would celebrate Renri – the seventh day of the Chinese New Year – by feasting on their fresh catches. Some historians believe the addition of other ingredients began in Chaozhou and Shantou during the Southern Song Dynasty.
6. But its modern form is a Southeast Asian invention
These days, it’s not common to find yu sheng in Chinese cities, because the dish in its current iteration is in fact a Southeast Asian invention. When the Cantonese and Teochew people of China migrated to Malaya in the late 19th century, two different versions appeared in the peninsula. The Cantonese version, known as Jiangmen yu sheng, was a simple raw fish and vegetable salad with salt, sugar and vinegar, while the Teochew version, known as husay, was just dried fish wrapped in lettuce coated in sesame seeds and then dipped in sauce before eating. In 1930s Malaya, these two versions were sold from hawker carts as simple street food available throughout the year.
7. Every restaurant has its own take on yu sheng
The wonderful thing about yu sheng is that its creators are limited only by their imaginations. If you’re in Singapore during Chinese New Year, you can try this delicious prosperity salad that’s a staple in every seasonal menu at most Chinese restaurants across the city.
5 ON 25, the modern Cantonese restaurant at Andaz Singapore will be serving their yu sheng with Ora King Salmon, crispy fried yam and candied nuts. The dish is available in two sizes, for three to six guests or seven to 10 guests. You’ll have the choice of adding toppings such as Canadian lobster meat, surf clam or salted egg yolk fish skin for an umami crunch.
If you’re dining with a large group, Man Fu Yuan at InterContinental Singapore offers an opulent platter that includes flambéd eel, abalone, rock lobster and Hokkaido dried scallops. This dish is auspiciously named Blazing Snake Fortune Yu Sheng, and measures an ambitious 1.5m in circumference. It serves up to 10 guests.
Fancy trying international interpretations of yu sheng? Head over to Bottega di Carna at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, where the classic plum sauce dressing receives a twist by way of an Amalfi lemon honey inclusion. Here, you’ll also have the option of gussying up your yu sheng with scallop sashimi, lobster or caviar. Meanwhile, Peruvian-Chinese fusion joint Canchita at Dempsey Hill will be serving its yu sheng topped with crunchy corn tortillas, in a seafood medley that contains octopus, prawns, uni and red snapper.
To learn more about Singapore Airlines’ flight service to Singapore, visit the official website.
This article was last updated in January 2025. With reports from Michelle JN Lim, Michele Koh Morollo and Vanessa Tai.