Always wanted to know more about the Chinese New Year custom of 'lo hei'? Here's our guide to tossing lo hei like a local, including the top lo hei sayings and greetings!
You have to make a mess when you eat this quintessential Chinese New Year dish called yusheng. It’s that colourful raw fish salad that kicks off your reunion dinners and that one dish that will get your kids asking for a second helping of vegetables! But that’s not why we eat it during Chinese New Year. It’s more than a starter dish, it’s a dish of reunion and a symbolism of prosperity, fortune, and good blessings for the new year.
Yusheng, literally means “raw fish” in Chinese. Some might call it Yee Sang, its Cantonese translation, or Lo Hei, which is Cantonese for “to toss up”. Which is why you’re expected to toss the salad as high as you can, and the messier it gets, the better, for that means abundance in the new year.
It’s typically made of sliced carrots and radish with an array of toppings, finished with lashings of sweet sauce. Every ingredient carries a blessing and to level up the good fortune, you’ve got to pair it with auspicious sayings as you prepare the yusheng. If you’re dining at a restaurant, you can leave it to the service staff to prep the lo hei (remember to give them an ang bao for good luck!) But if you’re dining at home, don’t worry, we’ve got you!
All you need to know about Lo Hei
Where did the lo hei tradition come from?
Yusheng or lo hei began in China and was enjoyed by people from the Canton province on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the birthday of mankind. As our forefathers migrated to this part of the world, they brought along their traditions and customs which stayed with us till today. However, the yusheng that we know and love today is not the original version. In the 1960s, the Four Heavenly Kings (four outstanding culinary chefs) crafted a modified version known as the Seven Colour Yusheng using a sweet, kumquat sauce. Modern versions have evolved to use salmon, lobster, and abalone instead of grass carp with variations of the sweet sauce.
How do I lo hei like a pro?
While you may think a simple raw fish salad can’t be that tricky to navigate, with steps and sayings to follow before you can eat this auspicious dish, you’re going to need to know-how. First off, no need to panic: we’ve included all of the steps and a phonetic guide for those of you who haven’t managed to get beyond ‘hello’ in Mandarin yet… And secondly, it doesn’t matter what order you work your yusheng into a frenzy. Just make sure all the ingredients hit the plate at some point, and toss them as high as you can! Remember – the messier, the better!
Yusheng sayings & greetings: What to do and say
1. Add the raw fish
(often salmon, but if you want to be fancy, abalone and other fishy things will do)
Saying: 年年有余 (Nian Nian You Yu/nee-en nee-en yo uu-ee)
Meaning: May every year be filled with abundance.
2. Add something citrusy
(often pomelo sacs or lime juice)
Saying: 大吉大利 (Da Ji Da Li/da gee da lee)
Meaning: Wishing you great luck and great profit.
3. Add spices
(usually pepper or five spice powder)
Saying: 招财进宝 (Zhao Cai Jin Bao/gee-ow chai gin b-ow)
Meaning: Ushering in wealth and treasures.
4. Drizzle oil over the dish
Saying: 财源广进 (Cai Yuan Guang Jin/chai you-en goo-ang gin)
Meaning: May wealth pour in from numerous sources.
5. Sprinkle peanut crumbs
Saying: 金银满屋 (Jin Yin Man Wu/gin yee-in mun uu)
Meaning: May your house be filled with gold and silver.
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds
Saying: 生意兴隆 (Sheng Yi Xing Long/shung ee sing long)
Meaning: May your business prosper.
7. Drizzle the plum sauce or whatever sauce available
Saying: 甜甜蜜蜜 (Tian Tian Mi Mi/tee-en tee-en mee mee)
Meaning: May your life be sweet.
8. Add golden pillow crackers
(our favourite part!)
Saying: 满地黄金 (Man Di Huang Jin/mun dee hoo-ang gin)
Meaning: May the floor be littered with gold.
9. Toss!
Everyone stands with chopsticks ready and tosses the ingredients into the air while saying auspicious sayings like “Huat” and your wishes for the year. Repeat seven times (or more) and toss extra high for better luck.
Additional steps & sayings for DIY Yusheng
Usually takeaway Yusheng from the restaurants would have the shredded carrots and radish set up for you. But if you are building the entire lo hei from scratch, then use these additional statements:
1. Add the shredded carrot
(or any red vegetable)
Saying: 鸿运当头 (Hong Yun Dang Tou/hong uu-rin d-ang tow)
Meaning: Fortune is approaching.
2. Add the green radish
(or green veggies)
Saying: 青春常驻 (Qing Chun Chang Zhu/ching choo-un ch-ang tchu)
Meaning: May you be forever young.
3. Add the shredded white radish
Saying: 风生水起 (Feng Sheng Shui Qi/fung shung shoo-ey chee)
步步高升 (Bu Bu Gao Sheng/bu bu ga-ow shung)
Meaning: May you be successful at work.
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
This article was originally written by Sheralyn Loh in 2018, and updated by Andrina Loo in 2026.
