Lou Sang origins *by JS*

The origin of lou sang or lou hei (dish is known as yee sang) as it's more popularly known was thought to have evolved from various versions in China. On the 7th day of the Lunar festival, fishermen on the east coast of China(Guangdong) celebrate by feasting on their catch. In Malaya, migrant workers imported this practice. Porridge stalls sell raw fish dishes served with turnips strips, carrots strips and top up with oil, vinegar and sugar. However record shows that contemporary yee sang was created in Malaysia in 1964 by a master chef Tham Mui Kai. He later went to Singapore to work and was one of the "four heavenly culinary kings".

In neighboring Singapore, the same practice and tradition also took place. Government, community and business leaders serve this dish at official functions as part of the celebration during this festive period. I suspect this was the work of master chef Tham promoting lou sang in Singapore.

Enough of context. Anyway the gang got together to lou sang during the spring festival at a restaurant in Puchong. Accordingly to traditions, the higher you toss, the more luck it brings and the key is to toss it in a communal manner and it has to appear almost like slow motion. Get it??

nice colourful plate of yee sang

on your marks

get set......

GO!!!!

someone got really exited.......GET OUT OF MY VIEW!!!

now trying to do the "slow motion".......fail faIL FAIL!!!

you probably can appreciate why fail......destroyed in under a minute!!

Continuing on the history of lou sang..........If any of the above mentioned was true about the origins of this humble dish, I'll strongly advice the Malaysian Tourism and Cultural ministry to quickly lay claim on lou hei as part of our national heritage before the kiasu Singaporeans call it their national dish.......haha!

Some of you may laugh about it BUT Malaysia did claim that Singapore stole their chilly crab and call it Singapore's national dish.......and as if that was true, so who stole satay from the Indonesians :) or for that matter Italians stole noodles from Chinese or vice versa.......or was it the Arabs?? BTW, this one solved already so no need to argue.....it's the Chinese who invented noodles and substantiated from a 4000 years old archeological excavation in China !