Yan Yat Yee Sang

Yan Yat Yee Sang - this must sound like a tongue twister, that's how chinese sounds when you do not speak or know how to, Alexander will ask - What did you say? and mumble whatever came out of his mouth.  The Chinese Lunar New year is celebrated for 15 days, read about how  these 15 days are celebrated. The chinese has their humour in a funny way - 12th day is The Diarrhea Day - ha ha. Today is the seventh day and It is known as "人日" Rénrì in mandarin or Yan Yat in cantonese or Everyone's Birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older. In West Malaysia and Singapore, Yu Sheng/Yee Sang,  raw slivers of fish are tossed together with various pickles and vegeatble into a Salad.   As they toss the salad, they raise the salad high with their chopsticks and say auspicious words. 

This year, i have added purple and regular cabbage to make this salad more colorful.  I wanted the color yellow and was searching for a vegetable which is yellow and will be crunchy, nothing came to mind, i have decided to dye some white shredded daikon/radish into yellow but did not have to do that.  As i halved the regular green cabbage, i found that the center of this cabbage is yellow and i was grinning like i have found gold.  I mentioned adding these cabbages to my traditional Yee Sang to a dear friend and immediately she replied that it will be no good but me, i will always give it try at least once before i make any judgement.  I was glad that i added the cabbages, the platter was so colorful and everyone commented that it was too pretty to mess it up and i think this will be my Yee Sang for the years to come.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL.


For how to prepare Yee Sang Step By Step:

Payaya Shreds
Taro Shreds
Roasted Peanut and Crackers  
The rest of the preparation
The Tossing