I am not sure of the spelling 'lo-hae' or 'lo-hai'.... whatever!
This was my first Chinese New Year when I got an opportunity to do the traditional salad tossing. "Lo-hei” (meaning tossing) raw fish salad, a very popular and must-have dish at the reunion dinner. Traditionally I am told it was eaten on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year as this day is also known as everybody’s birthday but nowadays people tend to eat it everyday of the chinese new year (ofcourse, depending on the number of dinner/lunch one gets invited to).
The list of ingredients includes:
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.
The key thing is to toss the salad as high as possible, high for higher wealth/happiness/luck and in general good year.
Caution: Please do not make it touch the celing 'coz you've got to eat it latter ;-)
Sad thing I forgot to click any pictures of the tossing :( will check and post it if someone clicked it.
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