We had ‘Yee Sang’ at RC’s house today together with her family. She makes this every year as part of the Chinese New Year (CNY) festivities and traditions. ‘Yee Sang’ is a salad made of shredded vegetables and mixed with some condiments and plum sauce. Slices of raw salmon or other kinds of fish is commonly added to the mix. After the sauce has been poured over, everyone at the table picks up his or her chopsticks and begin tossing the salad to mix it up, the ‘Prosperity Toss’.
This is a shot of the toss during last CNY, again at RC’s house. She had more people over then.
Before coming to Canada, I didn’t know Yee Sang is a CNY tradition only in Malaysia and Singapore. The Chinese restaurants here don’t serve or sell this. I heard that a Malaysian restaurant in Markham makes this but it’s selling for $100 a dish and upwards. I suppose it has a high price tag for a salad because it’s a labour-intensive dish but still…! RC prepares this dish all by herself, shredding and slicing the vegetables and deep-frying the shredded yam and sweet potato. Even the sauce is homemade! If not for RC, I wouldn’t be able to having Yee Sang during CNY. 
Thank you, RC!
pickyin @ Life is Great
February 12, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Yup Yee Sang is created by Singaporeans and only served here and in Malaysia. Happy CNY!
Ker-Yng
February 12, 2011 at 10:02 pm
I didn’t know it was created by Singaporeans! Can’t be! Happy CNY to you too!
KerShin
February 12, 2011 at 11:18 pm
From what I know, it’s true. 4 master chefs in Singapore created this dish tho at least of one them originated fr Malaysia
Ker-Yng
February 12, 2011 at 11:30 pm
Ah, that’s more like it. After all, Malaysia existed before Singapore!
yummychunklet
February 12, 2011 at 10:00 pm
This looks delicious! Happy Chinese New Year!
Ker-Yng
February 12, 2011 at 10:02 pm
It is! Thank you!
yannypang
February 13, 2011 at 6:04 am
We had ‘yee sang’ at Oversea, PJ Jaya One with Rebert Wong and Family this afternoon (still NY). Theirs is made of fresh fruit, a variety of them and the name is great – tin ha dai yit lou in Cantonese, which means the best toss in the world! It was yummy! Moist, crunchy and refreshing.
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
February 13, 2011 at 10:37 pm
I bet this is wonderful all tossed together! I love reading about different traditions and dishes from different places. This is a great one!
kitchen flavours
February 14, 2011 at 9:12 am
This is one salad dish that is not to be missed during CNY! In fact, it is normal now to have more than one toss of yee sang during CNY! And I do agree with you that Malaysia plays a major role in the creation of yee sang! He! He! And BTW, ‘bak kut teh’ is 100% Malaysian created! No one can argue on that!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ker-Yng
February 14, 2011 at 10:41 am
I didn’t know it was ‘abnormal’ to have more than one toss as we would have yee sang each time we gather with different friends e.g. colleagues, friends, relatives etc!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
RitaChong
February 14, 2011 at 3:22 pm
Ker-Yng, thank you for posting my yee sang. Never thought that it will turn out to look so impressive. Thank you for joining my family for the occasion. It is always a great pleasure to have you and your “3″ boys over to my place.
Ker-Yng
February 14, 2011 at 3:34 pm
You’re welcome, Rita. The pleasure’s all ours!
ComeUndone
February 18, 2011 at 9:26 am
Oh wow, I learn something new! I’m a Chinese in Canada and didn’t know of this Malaysian tradition. It does look incredibly delicious.
Ker-Yng
February 18, 2011 at 9:28 am
Guess you have to be a Malaysian or a Singaporean to be familiar with this.