Lunar New Year’s eve is tomorrow and I am looking forward to “lo-hei” (meaning tossing) raw fish salad, a very popular and must-have dish at the reunion dinner.

This dish originally from Jiangmen in Guangdong province of China is called “Yu Sheng”. It was introduced here in 1963 by very closed friends who were chefs in their own restaurants during Chinese New Year. The act of “lo-hei” or tossing the ingredients as high as possible for good fortune and mixing them altogether was developed by the people only recently. It is a noisy activity and each person would try to outplay each other over who can toss the highest and saying all the auspicious phrases at the same time.

Traditionally eaten on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year as this day is also known as everybody’s birthday but nowadays we get to eat this special raw fish salad for sixteen days of the festival.

Here’s a list of ingredients and their individual significance:

• Raw fish symbolizes increasing abundance. Salmon is commonly used

• Sesame oil for a smooth year glowing with wealth

• Peanut crumbles symbolizes a household filled with gold and silver (Peanuts are grinded coarsely)

• Lemon or lime for a productive year

• Rice crackers represents the entire floor being paved with gold

• Peanuts symbolizes eternal youth

• Plum sauce for a sweet life ahead (Mixed with rice vinegar, sesame oil and kumquat paste)

The rest of the ingredients to make up for this dish include shredded carrots, radish, pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds, pomelo, cinnamon and pepper.

So get your chopsticks ready and do the “Lo Hei” - for this ritual signifies Good Luck and Prosperity for the Lunar New Year! ……… “GONG XI FA CAI” everyone!