Australian Gourmet Traveller - (02)February 2021 (1)

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YUSHENG

Malaysia,Singapore(withgrowing popularity

inHongKongandChina)

Alsoknownas“prosperitytosssalad”,thisrainbow

raw-fishdishis morethanjusta prettyface.Likemany

LunarNewYeardishes,it’sloadedwith“hectic

symbolism”,accordingtochefVictorLiongof

Melbourne’sLeeHoFook.Therecipevariesbetween

householdsbutthemainstayis slicedrawfish(usually

salmon).There’sculinarywordplayhere– theword

forfish(yú,inPinyin)soundslikethewordfor

abundance(yù)asspokeninseveralChinese

dialects;hencetheinclusionofsashimiportends

a prosperousyearahead.Juliennedvegetables–

daikon,carrot,kohlrabi,cucumber– addcrunch

andcolour,whilea selectionofaccoutrementsare

sprinkledovertheplatterbeforeserving,representing

prosperityandgoodfortune.Peanutsandsesame

seedssymbolisea homefilledwithgoldandjade;oil

is fora smoothyearahead;anda calamansi-spiked

plumsaucebringssweetblessings.Then:“Everyone

atthetableattacksit withchopsticksandmakes

a massivemess,”saysLiong.Inhisfamily,relatives

havebeenknowntostandonchairswhileyelling

auspiciousslogans.“Thehigheryouthrow it, the

moreprosperoustheyearahead.”

Findit:Melbourne’sLeeHoFookandSydney’s

Chuukabothservea versionofyusheng in the

lead-up to Lunar New Year.➤

“Everyoneat thetableattacks

itwithchopsticksandmakes

a massivemess.Thehigher

you throwit,themore

prosperous the year ahead.”

W

ellbeforePopeGregoryXIII

institutedwhatwenowknowand

observeas theGregoriancalendar,

therewasthelunarcalendar–

a systemfortrackingthepassingdaysaccordingto

thecyclesofthemoon.Thelunarcalendaris still

culturallyobservedaroundtheworld,andit’sLunar

NewYear,whichfallsonFebruary 12 in2021,that

is themostfamiliardayofnoteforAustralians.

Celebrations,customsandeventheduration

oftheLunarNewYearfestivitiesvarybetweenEast

andSoutheastAsiancommunities– Vietnam’sTêt

goesforninedays,chunjieinChinesecommunities

kicksonfor15,whileKorea’sSeollalholidaylasts

forthree.Butfood,andplentyofit,is a common

thread.Symbolismtoo.Here,wediscoverthe

dishesfromLunarNewYearfromcommunities

aroundtheworldthatareeaten for auspicious –

and delicious – reasons.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 69

WORDS YVONNE C LAM. ILLUSTRATIONS LAURA JACOBS.