Lo Hei!
The Prosperity Toss, otherwise known as Lo Hei (撈起), is the preparation of a salad-like dish, Yusheng (魚生), consisting of: a handful of miscellaneous foodstuffs such as shredded vegetables, raw fish strips (usually salmon), Pok Chui crackers, daikon, and a variety of condiments, sauces, and spices — traditionally making a total of 27 ingredients. As the centrepieces of many Southeast Asian Chinese New Year feasts, the raw fish salad is prepared in many countries, including China, Indonesia, Singapore, and most commonly in Malaysia. Preparing and consuming the dish is believed to bring prosperity, happiness, progress, and good luck.
Though traditionally consumed on the 7th day of the Lunar New Year, Yusheng is now generally consumed throughout the festive season of the Chinese New Year. Light, quick to prepare, and generally affordable, the starter dish is shared between colleagues, families, and friends alike. Despite having a few “staple” components (as displayed in the table), the traditional ingredients are now commonly replaced by more accessible, preferred foods.
The true auspiciousness of the dish lies in the tossing. After preparing the ingredients in neat, colourful piles the dish is placed on a large plate, the centre of a table. Next, either a server or the head of the household recites prosperous blessings as they add each ingredient to the Toss. There is no particular order that the phrases have to be recited in.
Once the final ingredient is added, every member of the table dives in and starts tossing the Yusheng with their pair of chopsticks while saying their share of auspicious blessings. The higher the toss, the more prosperity the coming year will bring. After seven shouts of “Lo Hei” and countless well-wishes and blessings, all members of the table sit down, and consume their share of the salad. In order to symbolise abundance, a small pile of Lo Hei is usually left behind, which will be transferred to a smaller plate and remains on the table for the rest of the feast.
When I visited Malaysia over the Chinese New Year holiday, we celebrated our family reunion over a table of traditional dishes, and engaged in a hearty preparation of Lo Hei:
