On any other year, during this season, restaurants would be jam packed with customers. Huge tables of 10 would share a variety of delicious dishes, ranging from fish to pork to chicken. Then, every now and then, you'd turn your head to look at the commotion from another table - they were doing their "Lou Sang".
This year is not like any other year as the Movement Control Order stops us from eating out en masse. With that said, there is probably no more "Lou Sang" in restaurants with your uncles and aunts. However, that shouldn't stop us from understanding why we do what we do and from preparing our own "yeesang" at home to celebrate this Chinese New Year with our close families or even housemates.
As you might've noticed, "yeesang" and "lousang" have been used interchangeably because they both refer to the same dish - the colorful course we have during the Chinese New Year. When directly translated, "yee" means a fish dish, "lou" means a dish we scoop up, while "sang" means live or energy.
Meaning Behind Scooping
When we scoop the food up, it represents the different aspects of our lives such as wealth, health and fortune getting higher and higher or better and better. Not only that, it is a dish that brings people around the table signifying reunions of families. The scooping process is also usually accompanied by auspicious words and people shouting for fortune and prosperity such as "Huat ah!", "Heng ah!", "Ong ah!", and is the embodiment of the festive spirit.
The Seven Main Ingredients
Besides looking colorful, the different ingredients that make up the "yeesang" have their own meanings:
Fish - As previously mentioned, fish is in the name of the dish. The Chinese word for "fish" sounds like "remainder" which signifies plenty of remaining wealth at the end of every year.
Red Carrots - Signifies an abundance of luck.
Green Shredded Papaya - Signifies everlasting youth.
Five Spices Powder - Signifies the 5 blessings, which are longevity, wealth or power, good health, good morals, and a peaceful end.
Sesame Oil - Signifies fortune flowing in.
Lime Juice / Sweet & Sour Sauce - Signifies great luck and sweet relationships.
Dried Fruits / Peanuts / Chips - Symbolizes traditional gold and silver pieces.
So, now you know the meaning of each ingredient, keep them in mind the next time you're scooping your "yeesang" and not just blindly join in the action. You can also use this guide to prepare your own homemade "yeesang" to celebrate with your family or housemates.
The pandemic might've stopped our celebrations but it should not stop our festive spirits. We should continue to strive for good health, happiness, and good fortune during this Chinese New Year! Stay safe, and have a happy Chinese New Year!
