The Cantonese phrase for tossing yusheng for prosperity during Lunar New Year is lo hei.
Yusheng is a raw-fish salad associated especially with Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore. During the ritual, diners stand and use chopsticks to toss shredded fish, vegetables, crackers, sauces, and other ingredients high into the air while calling out auspicious wishes. The height of the toss is traditionally linked with the height of one’s future prosperity.
Lo hei is associated with the Cantonese 撈起, meaning roughly “scoop up” or “toss up.” The dish itself is also called yee sang, yusheng, or prosperity toss. A common mix-up is treating lo hei as the name of the salad; more precisely, yusheng is the dish and lo hei is the tossing ritual or its familiar chant.
The symbolism depends heavily on wordplay. The word for fish sounds like “abundance,” while ingredients such as pomelo, pepper, oil, and crackers are paired with wishes for luck, wealth, and rising fortune.