Yusheng - Teochew | Singaporean CNY Fish Salad

Originally uploaded by zannnielim

 Yusheng, 鱼生 yúshēng or lo hei 捞起 is a Teochew-style raw fish salad. It consists of strips of raw fish (eg salmon), mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Yusheng literally means "raw fish" but since "fish (鱼)" is commonly conflated with its homophone "abundance (余)", Yúshēng (鱼生) is interpreted as a homophone for Yúshēng (余升) meaning an increase in abundance. Therefore, yusheng is considered a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigor.

The contemporary version is created and popularised in Singapore in the 1960s amongst the ethnic Chinese community and its consumption has been associated with Chinese New Year festivities in Singapore.