In the Year of the Tiger, every bite comes with a backstory. Find out the meaning behind each traditional feast to welcome in the Chinese New Year
YU SHENG
Yu sheng literally means ‘fish raw’ and is a homophone for ‘abundance’. It therefore symbolises a life of plenty, which in turn implies prosperity and luck. This raw fi sh salad is typically made up of over 25 ingredients, each signifying various routes to success. As you can guess, the list goes on, and it proves that a little bit of luck never hurt anyone.
Ingredients:
Fresh salmon/mackerel: Abundance
Carrot: Luck
Chopped peanuts: Gold, silver and eternal youth
Daikon: A fl ourishing career
Crystallised ginger: A sweet year
Green radish: Ensures youth
Oil: Smooth flow of wealth
Pepper and pomelo: Luck
Sesame seeds: Flourishing business
Cinnamon: A sweet life
The process: An auspicious way to ‘toss in’ the New Year. Toss high, toss loud and toss messily – not that you will be able to help it. Each diner is equipped with a pair of chopsticks that are used to mix everything together in the large communal dish. The mess can be lessened (a little) if you aim towards the middle – and this is also the way to ensure that
good fortune is being distributed throughout the group. The words lo hei are chanted for luck when tossing. The yu sheng is tossed seven times to correspond with it being traditionally served on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year.
What you need: A large serving plate and chopsticks for everyone. You can buy all ingredients at Chinatown Complex Market (335 Smith St). The basement houses a wet and dry goods market, so you can go from the fishmonger straight to Fei Li Preserved and Dried Goods (#B1-184). The pok cui (‘gold’ crackers) come in packets of 500g and 1kg (prices vary). If traditional markets offend your Gladiators, stop into any reputable sushi establishment. They should have raw fish slices precut, as well as yu sheng sets for sale ($17-$47, depending on the amount of raw fish).
STEAMBOAT
This communal dish is usually eaten on Chinese New Year’s eve for reunion dinner, representing a family’s togetherness and reunion. The steamboat meal is symbolic as it represents the circular gathering of the family. The fi re used to cook the steamboat represents life and the ingredients included are chosen for its auspicious value.
Ingredients
Bamboo shoots: Wellbeing and new beginnings
Dried beancurd: Wealth achieved
Carrots: Luck
Chinese black mushrooms: Major opportunities
Dumplings shaped like gold ingots: Prosperity
Fresh long egg noodles: ‘Gold threads’ for prosperity
and longevity
Dried oysters: Goodness
Gingko nuts: Gold
Lotus seeds: Fertility
Lotus root: Abundance
Buds: Harmony
Long leafy greens: Longevity for parents
Quail eggs or chicken eggs: Birth and new beginnings
The process: Anything goes, as long as good stock is used. Fish balls, fish slices, fish cake (fish symbolises abundance or surplus) or prawns (ha in Cantonese, which sounds like laughter, therefore representing happiness).
What you need: A portable stove, an electric hot pot or the traditional charcoal-centred steamboat vessel. You will need individual-sized strainers, and charcoal, if using the traditional vessel. Strainers and steamboats can be bought at Temple Street in Chinatown, home to a cluster of restaurant supply stores. You can pick up charcoal at most convenience stores. Local wet markets sell all the raw ingredients – the fishball auntie could very well be your one-stop steamboat shop, selling everything from noodles and dried tofu skins to quail eggs and dumplings. The wet market is also
the place to buy chicken or pork bones to make the stock. If you’re running low on time, ready-made stock can be purchased at supermarkets.
PINEAPPLE TARTS
While they’re more of a snack than a traditional dish, pineapple tarts have become synonymous with festive celebrations in Singapore – the Chinese eat them during Lunar New Year, while the Malays have them during Hari Raya. Golden pineapples are commonly featured in Chinese New Year decorations as they represent wealth and good fortune, particularly for gamblers.
Ingredients:
Pineapple: Prosperity or luck
Sugar: A sweet life, no bitterness or hardship
Butter
Flour
Eggs
Icing sugar
Corn starch
Shortening
Spices for the jam optional (cinnamon, cloves and
star anise)
The process: Pineapple tarts are generally shaped to look like open-faced coins, or little pillows stuffed with golden goodness. To achieve the intricate design of the coins, simply pad a spoonful of dough into the mould and gently knock it out.
What you need: An oven (or a toaster should be fine for making a small batch for friends), moulds (if you’re making open-faced tarts) and airtight containers. It’s a bit of a cheat, but to save on time you can buy the jam fi lling ready-made, and pick up the moulds at shops like Phoon Huat (www.phoonhuat.com). You can also buy gelatine-rich jam, packaged in 1kg plastic sacks ($6.35), at most major supermarkets. If baking is simply too much work, fret not – tarts are sold all over the city. Although the best ones traditionally can’t be found in shops, our favourite among those that do is from Kue Nanas Juliet (9001 6878), whose crumbly balls are fi lled with a supple, delicately spiced home-made pineapple jam ($12 per box of 28). Available by phone order only.
