Spring Toss

Spring Toss (Yee Sang)

In celebration of the Chinese lunar calendar’s most important festival, Chinese New Year, numerous dishes from different origins are savoured. Yee Sang is one such traditional dish. It is symbolic of good luck, prosperity, health and all things auspicious.Yee Sang comprises thin slices of pickled vegetables and other ingredients which are mixed together thoroughly when the dish is eaten. The taste of the dish is enhanced by its special sauce which imparts a distinctive flavour.

The popular custom is for all round the dining table to toss the ingredients high in the air with joyful exclamations of "Loh Hey" (toss high). The significance of the tossing is to wish for abundant luck and happiness for all. The enjoyment of Yee Sang during Chinese New Year is an age-old custom steeped in ancient tradition and culture.

Everyone seated at the table must "loh hey". It's tradition but not only that, it's good fun. Some hilarity ensues when people wish for unorthodox blessings such as "good business for the year so I may get a big bonus". At the heart of it, the act of "loh hey" is a gesture among friends and family to invite prosperity and joy into the lives of the people they care about. It's the definition of what reunions are really about - sharing happiness.

The higher you toss, the more luck and prosperity will come to you

All the ingredients are mixed together and it's time to EAT!