Yu-Sheng Lo-hei

Today was a local co-worker lunch day and I got to experience a traditional Yu-Sheng Lo-hei. Yu-Sheng Lo-hei or (Lo-hei for short) is a Chinese New Year tradition that can be enjoyed any time and as many times during the 15 days of Chinese New Year. The purpose of the Lo-hei is to wish friends and family a very prosperous new year. The girls said I would love it as it is like a big tossed salad so I was in!

So we get to the restaurant….oh wait let me tell you about the restaurant. It was like an obstacle course to get to! We were in and out of buildings, up and down elevators, and finally arrived at the restaurant which was naturally located on the roof of a building in the middle of a parking garage. I told my co-workers please don’t leave me here I will never find my way back! Ok so we arrived and on a big lazy susan in the middle of the table was a huge dish containing raw fish (salmon), carrots, shredded jelly fish, crushed peanuts, ginger, radish, fried wonton crisps, some seasoning and two dishes of sauce. The server proceeded to do some seasoning of the fish and poured the oils over the ingredients all while uttering some blessing in Chinese. Once this ceremony was over, we all stood, grabbed our chopsticks and started to toss the ingredients while wishing each other a prosperous new year, more $$ in 2008, a baby for Rachel, boys for me and Wendy, good luck in her new job for Shareen, blah, blah..and apparently the higher you toss the more prosperous you will be!! It was really fun.

Now the thing that makes this even more special is that all the ingredients have a special meaning:

Step 1: Fish slices symbolize abundance or excess through the year (Nian-Nian you-yu)

Step 2: Pomelo for both luck and auspicious value (Da-ji-da-li)

Step 3: Pepper is then dashed over the ingredients in the hope of attracting more money and valuables (Zhao cai jin bao)

Step 4: Then oil is poured out, circling the ingredients to increase all profits 10,000 times and encouraging money to flow in from all directions (Yi ben wan li & Cai yuan guang jin).

Step 5: Carrots are added to the fish indicating blessings of good luck. (Hong yun dang tou)

Step 6: Then the shredded green radish is placed on the fish symbolizing eternal youth. (Qing chun chang zhu).

Step 7: After which the shredded white radish is added - prosperity in business and promotion at work. (Feng sheng shui qi and Bu bu gao sheng).

Step 8: Peanut crumbs are then dusted on the dish symbolizing a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolize eternal youth.(Jin yin man wu).

Step 9: Sesame seeds quickly follow symbolizing a flourishing business. (Sheng yi xing long).

Step 10: Deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows is then added with wishes that literally the whole floor would be filled with gold. (Pian di huang jin).

So are you wondering how is tasted???? Well it may be my new favorite thing. The mixture of all the ingredients, oils and seasoning is just amazing! They sell Lo-hei kits in the supermarket and I may have to buy one, toss and wish myself prosperity at home!!!

Have a great weekend.