It’s only fair to say that Chinese New Year celebrations are not complete without the tossing of the Yee Sang. Made with raw fish, pickled vegetables and an assortment of colourful condiments and special sauces, those celebrating would toss the dish around and as high as they can with their chopsticks while wishing for health and prosperity.
But, did you know that this long running tradition actually came from Malaysia?
Adrian Lim Chee En took to his Twitter page to share the history of Yee Sang and how it’s linked back to our current Transport Minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook!
He wrote, “Yee Sang – the food that always appears during Chinese New Year is not a dish inherited from the Tionghua ancestral community in China but invented by Loke Ching Fatt in Seremban in the 1940s. Loke Ching Fatt is the grandfather to Anthony Loke, the current Transport Minister.”
He went on to explain that Loke Ching Fatt had invented the dish at his restaurant, Restoran Loke Ching Kee.
Hence, the Yee Sang ceremony that we’ve all seen and even participated in is actually a Malaysian tradition.
“Yup. It’s a Malaysian thing. If you ask Chinese people in Hong Kong, Chinese people in Taiwan, Chinese people in China, Chinese people in Indonesia, confirm they won’t know what Yee Sang is,” Adrian responded to a netizen in his thread.
It’s amazing to see how, despite being of different races and religions, that we can create traditions that’s purely Malaysian.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: People Greeted With High Flying Water Jet Lion Dance In Sydney For CNY!
