There are a wide variety of food that are significant to Chinese New Year (CNY). The foods served on CNY is a combination of symbols and sumptuous flavours. The dishes served during CNY suggests wealth, luck and splendour by the way of their appearance or because they rhyme with certain auspicious Chinese words. Proportions are generous as customs dictates that one should not be stint at the festive table as abundance brings luck. (Moey, 2006, p. 10)
Before I started writing, I interviewed two elders as I feel that they are more conservative of their tradition and culture. Firstly, I asked my grandmother, “What is the most significant food to have during CNY?” She replied “yusheng” and I asked “Why yusheng? What significance does it have?” and she answered, “It means prosperity and long life.” (Ong S.J., personal communication, 8 November 2015) Next, I asked my neighbour, “What is the food that you must have every CNY?” He said “Prosperity Toss (yusheng)!” and I asked him, “Why Prosperity Toss?” and he said that it is because every step to add the ingredients has a meaning behind it, thus overall as a dish it has a huge significance.” (Lim L.G., personal communication, 9 November 2015) …show more content…
yusheng is deemed auspicious because of its homonymic quality: yu means "fish", but appropriately enunciated it also means "abundance", while sheng literally means "raw", but appropriately enunciated it means "life". Thus yusheng implies "abundance of wealth and long life". In Cantonese, it is known as lo sheng with lo also meaning "tossing up good fortune". The tossing action is called lo hei, which means to "rise" (hei), again a reference to a thriving business and thus its popularity with businessmen during the new-year celebrations. (Bonny Tan & Rakunathan Narayanan,
Before I started writing, I interviewed two elders as I feel that they are more conservative of their tradition and culture. Firstly, I asked my grandmother, “What is the most significant food to have during CNY?” She replied “yusheng” and I asked “Why yusheng? What significance does it have?” and she answered, “It means prosperity and long life.” (Ong S.J., personal communication, 8 November 2015) Next, I asked my neighbour, “What is the food that you must have every CNY?” He said “Prosperity Toss (yusheng)!” and I asked him, “Why Prosperity Toss?” and he said that it is because every step to add the ingredients has a meaning behind it, thus overall as a dish it has a huge significance.” (Lim L.G., personal communication, 9 November 2015) …show more content…
yusheng is deemed auspicious because of its homonymic quality: yu means "fish", but appropriately enunciated it also means "abundance", while sheng literally means "raw", but appropriately enunciated it means "life". Thus yusheng implies "abundance of wealth and long life". In Cantonese, it is known as lo sheng with lo also meaning "tossing up good fortune". The tossing action is called lo hei, which means to "rise" (hei), again a reference to a thriving business and thus its popularity with businessmen during the new-year celebrations. (Bonny Tan & Rakunathan Narayanan,