It has taken a while to write this post. Lohei is a prosperity toss or a celebration salad which is traditionally a much loved festive eat during the Lunar New Year for the Chinese in Singapore.

Yet as Lunar New Year 2020 has come and gone and as Asia and the world remains gripped in fear and anxiety battling the Coronavirus (or what WHO has now named as COVID-19) it did not feel right to write this recipe post about prosperity and celebration even as many are falling sick and even passing on because of the malaise.

After much reflection, the Sugar Crumble has decided that one should not put life on pause and live in anxiety. We take the necessary precautions, be responsible, do the best we can and leave the rest to the Almighty. Life must go on.

Whilst Lohei is about celebrating and welcoming prosperity and looking forward to the year ahead, rather than the usual spirit of ebullience, I write this with a heart of gratitude.

Thankful and reminded to treasure life, family, friends and all the little things we often take for granted. Prompted to remember that in moments like this, it is the light within each one that should shine the brightest, therefore let’s bring forth the good and not the bad.

And finally so grateful for all the doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel battling at the frontline and prayerfully anticipating for them and for us all, when this will be finally over. Let us look forward to when 2020 can resume with a fresh start and let us remember to live for what truly matters 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

What is Lohei?

For those who are unfamiliar, Lohei or Prosperity Toss is a must-have at just about any Chinese New Year reunion dinner in Singapore because it symbolizes starting the new year on the right note.

Lohei 捞起 is a Cantonese word for “tossup“. It is the quintessential prosperity toss salad which signifies attaining greater heights, prosperity and blessings for the new year. Some people believe the higher the toss, the greater the prospects and blessings for the coming year.

As family, friends and relatives gather to celebrate the new year, what better way to have communion and reunion than a Lohei or Prosperity Tossup where we toss messily, shout out words of blessings and bellow “Huat Ahh” (means “get very rich in Hokkien”) to usher in the New Year with gusto.

My Lohei recipe is a refreshing delicious prosperity salad, tossed with gusto and in joyful anticipation of the year ahead, adapted from my Aunt Elaine’s unorthodox recipe.

Except for Ivy, a good friend who makes her Lohei from her Mama’s home recipe, I’ve never liked the traditional restaurant or store bought Lohei* which has always been too sweet for me  Thanks to my Aunt Elaine and her wise words “It’s a prosperity toss my dear, so toss in all the things you love to eat”. And that’s exactly what I did.

*Gorgeous, Beautiful, Lovely, my three beloved gals – please take note.

Watch my video and see how easy it is to make your own Lohei Prosperity Toss.

I am glad I made the TSC Lohei because I now love this delicious, healthy and refreshing prosperity salad. Truth be told, I have made this Lohei recipe 8 times for family reunions and gatherings in just two weeks of the Lunar New Year and it’s polished off each time. Grateful to have had the opportunity to bless family and friends with this healthy and tasty prosperity toss.

Tips:

• Main Salad Veggies

The main ingredients of Lohei are the radishes, carrots and the pomelo which are the mainstay of a prosperity toss.

Practically, these vegetables and fruit have a wholesome sweetness and are naturally tasty with a good crisp texture. Symbolically, each one is regarded as an auspicious ingredient and usually included in Lohei and New Year dishes in the hope of ushering in prosperity, wealth and blessings for the coming year.

So whilst you may toss out some and add other friendly veggies, I recommend to keep these main ones as they bestow a special meaning to the Lohei Prosperity Toss.

• Choose radishes and carrots that are bigger and longer

To get those long elegant Lohei shreds, go for the bigger, longer radishes and carrots.

I would usually look for green and white radishes that are 10 to 13cm in length. Radishes of this size would yield beautifully long and elegant shreds when julienned. 

• Get the Right Equipment

This Lohei recipe is simple but one needs to start with the right equipment. And what you require for this recipe to get those long elegant radish and carrot shreds is simply a good julienne peeler.

This is the blade you need

IMHO, unless you are a knife guru with amazing food cutting skills, don’t bother trying to cut it with a knife. It’s too time consuming and you still won’t get those nice, long and consistent juliennes.

It doesn’t get quicker than this!

My record using the julienne peeler to make this Lohei Prosperity Toss for 50 pax was ~30 minutes of peeling. I was amazed myself! Start with the right equipment and you’ll get there quick and easy.

• Remove the Moisture

Radishes have a 95% water content (95.3g water to every 100g to be specific). Whilst the radish is a great addition for braised meats and stews where it can be  simmered slowly to bring out the juices and not burn out; for Lohei, the huge water content is a bane, so remove it well.

Loaded with water … 

I used a clean terry towel and squeezed tightly to remove the water from the radish julienne so that they would be refreshingly crisp and crunchy when tossed.

Do this a couple of times to remove the moisture almost completely.

Crisp shreds with moisture removed

Do not skip this step; otherwise be prepared for a soggy weepy salad! 

• Pomelo

I love pomelo and to me it’s a must have for Lohei. The sweet and tangy pomelo adds a wonderful texture and flavour to the toss. I usually quarter the pomelo which makes it easy to peel. Watch the recipe video at 1.33 min. to see how it’s done.

The pomelo is a great make ahead. I typically peel and break the pomelo into itty bitty sacs and refrigerate a week before they are used. Honestly, these pomelo babies are usually half gone by that time and often need protection from midnight fridge raiders in this family.

If your household is anything like mine, double up on this make ahead and let the ‘raiders’ have any remaining as fruit if they are not used.

• Dressing

I used this Japanese soy based wasabi dressing, added with a teaspoon of raw honey for the salad dressing. 

Wasabi is Japanese horseradish which has a sharp spicy taste. I like this wasabi dressing because it gives a subtle kick with the spiciness of horseradish and is yet well balanced by the sweet of a little honey. If you are not a fan of wasabi, go with any light soy-based or vinaigrette dressing of your preference. It will still taste delicious. Just remember, less is more with Lohei. Do not over douse with dressing. Keep it crisp, light and natural.

• Storage

For absolute freshness, I like to prepare my radish and carrots on the day of the toss or just the night before. But if time is really running short, the radish and carrot juliennes can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance. Store well in air-tight containers for freshness and kept refrigerated until use. 

How to toss and What to say …

Step 1

Plate the julienne radish, carrot,  sashimi and the optionals (I used chopped coriander and Japanese marinated seaweed and jellyfish as these added great color, texture and flavour).

Added my fave marinated jellyfish 

Remember the ethos of this prosperity salad is to toss the stuff you love to eat. Just keep in mind the texture and the flavor as you add in your fave optionals. A good rule of thumb, except for the dressing, there should be as little moisture as possible for a nice crisp salad whatever the additions.

Step 2

Position paper plates all around the Lohei Plate as an eternal circle of blessing and for practicality, to contain the mess during the toss (trust me, it will be messy) and for easy self serving thereafter.

Step 3

Line up the condiments, sashimi and dressing next to the salad.

All lined up, ready for the toss!

Step 4

Add in the ingredients in Step 3 and get ready to toss

Because this is an auspicious salad, to bring on the cheer and welcome the New Year, say these mandarin blessings as each ingredient is added to the salad. Symbolically, this is what each saying represent:

Spice 恭喜发财，鸿运当头 – a Prosperous and Blessed New Year

Lime 大吉大利  – wealth and prosperity in the year ahead

Sashimi 年年有余 – abundance and surplus

Peanuts and sesame 财源滚滚 – rolling in profits and wealth

Oil 顺顺利利 – smooth sailing in all things

Dressing 甜甜蜜蜜 – sweet dressing for a sweet life

Crackers 金玉满堂，片地黄金 – streets of gold with great riches and prosperity,

Step 5

Pick up your chopsticks, toss heartily and enjoy!

Burrppp …

Did you make this? I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review. Or take a photo and share it on Instagram or FB; be sure to tag me please @thesugarcrumble.

If you like this Lohei recipe, you may also like my other Chinese New Year recipes.

• Easy Florentines, our favorite Chinese New Year snack
• CNY Blessings Carrot Cake
• Homemade Ba Kwa (自制香肉干）
• My MIL’s Yummy Pineapple Tarts
• Pistachio Matcha Pineapple Tarts
• Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup (阿公的羊肉汤）
• Kaffir Lime Spiced Nut
• Laksa Cookie

Print Recipe

How to make your own Lohei Prosperity Toss

Lohei, a much loved prosperity salad toss during the Chinese Lunar New Year. A refreshing & delicious salad, tossed with gusto and in joyful anticipation of the year ahead. Wishing all a healthy and wonderful 2020!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Servings: 5 pax

Author: Kai

Ingredients

Main salad

• 2 cup green radish (shredded)
• 2 cup white radish (shredded)
• 1 cup orange carrot (shredded)
• 1/2 cup purple carrot (shredded)
• 2/3 cup pomelo
• Salmon sashimi - 8 to 10 slices( fr. Japanese mart) (substitute: abalone slices)

Dressing

• 1/3 cup Japanese Wasabi dressing
• 1 tsp raw honey

Condiments

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tbsp crushed peanuts
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 packet of crackers (150g) (substitute: crispy salty egg fish skin)
• 1 lime (cut into wedges)

Optionals

• 1 to 2 sprigs of coriander (roughly chopped)
• 3 tbsp Japanese marinated jellyfish (fr. from Japanese mart)
• 3 tbsp Japanese marinated seaweed (fr. from Japanese mart)

Instructions

Preparation

• Julienne the radishes and carrots into long elegant shreds.
• Using a clean towel, squeeze tightly and remove the water from the radish and carrot juliennes. Set aside to chill whilst preparing the other ingredients.
• Peel the pomelo and break them into itty bitty sacs. (See notes: this can made ahead if desired.)
• Spoon 2 1/2 tbsp crushed peanuts, 2 tbsp toasted sesame and 2 tbsp sesame oil into separate small dishes/glasses and set aside.
• For the sweet dressing, add 1 tsp of raw honey to 1/3 cup Japanese Wasabi dressing and mix well.
• Spoon 1/4 tsp ground pepper and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon separately into two blessings red packets.
• Cut one lime into wedges.
• Optional, I also prepared some chopped coriander and Japanese marinated jellyfish and seaweed (ready-made).

Plating and Toss

• Plate the radishes, carrots, pomelo with the optionals.
• Line up the spices, sashimi, lime wedges, sweet dressing and crackers next to the Lohei platter.
• Lastly, position paper plates around the salad platter in an eternal circle of blessings to catch the mess and for easy self serving after the toss.
• Once the Lohei is all set up, as this is an auspicious salad, say the proverbial mandarin blessings (see notes below) as you add each ingredient.
• Toss heartily and Enjoy!

Video

Notes

 

Proverbial Mandarin Blessings:

To bring on the cheer and welcome the Lunar New Year, say these mandarin blessings as each ingredient is added to the salad. Symbolically, this is what each addition with the saying represent:

Spice 恭喜发财，鸿运当头 - a Prosperous and Blessed New Year

Lime 大吉大利  - wealth and prosperity in the year ahead

Sashimi 年年有余 - abundance and surplus

Peanuts and sesame 财源滚滚 - rolling in profits and wealth

Oil 顺顺利利 - smooth sailing in all things

Dressing 甜甜蜜蜜 - sweet dressing for a sweet life

Crackers 金玉满堂，片地黄金 - streets of gold with great riches and prosperity,

 

Tips:

• Main Salad Veggies

The main ingredients of Lohei are the radishes, carrots and the pomelo which are the mainstay of a prosperity toss.

Practically, these vegetables and fruit have a wholesome sweetness and are naturally tasty with a good crisp texture. Symbolically, each one is regarded as an auspicious ingredient and usually included in Lohei and New Year dishes in the hope of ushering in prosperity, wealth and blessings for the coming year.

So whilst you may toss out some and add other friendly veggies, I recommend to keep these main ones as they bestow a special meaning to the Lohei Prosperity Toss.

• Choose radishes and carrots that are bigger and longer

To get those long elegant Lohei shreds, go for the bigger, longer radishes and carrots. I would usually look for green and white radishes that are 10 to 13cm in length. Radishes of this size would yield beautifully long and elegant shreds when julienned. 

• Get the Right Equipment

This Lohei recipe is simple but one needs to start with the right equipment. And what you require for this recipe to get those long elegant radish and carrot shreds is simply a good julienne peeler.

This is the blade you need

IMHO, unless you are a knife guru with amazing food cutting skills, don’t bother trying to cut it with a knife. It’s too time consuming and you sill won’t get those nice, long and consistent juliennes.

My record using the julienne peeler to make this Lohei Prosperity Toss for 50 pax was ~30 minutes of peeling. I was amazed myself! Start with the right equipment and you’ll get there quick and easy.

• Remove the Moisture

Radishes have a 95% water content (95.3g water to every 100g to be specific). Whilst the radish is a great addition for braised meats and stews where it can be  simmered slowly to bring out the juices and not burn out; for Lohei, the huge water content is a bane, so remove it well.

Use a clean terry towel and squeeze well to remove the water from the radish julienne so that they would be refreshingly crisp and crunchy when tossed. Do this a couple of times to remove the moisture almost completely.

Do not skip this step; otherwise be prepared for a soggy weepy salad.

• Pomelo

I love pomelo and to me it’s a must have for Lohei. The sweet and tangy pomelo adds a wonderful texture and flavour to the toss. I usually quarter the pomelo which makes it easy to peel. Watch the recipe video at 1.33 minutes to see how it’s done.

The pomelo is a great make ahead. I typically peel and break the pomelo into itty bitty sacs and refrigerate a week before they are used. Honestly, these pomelo babies are usually half gone by that time and often need protection from midnight fridge raiders in this family.

If your household is anything like mine, double up on this make ahead and let the raiders have any remaining as fruit if they are not used.

• Dressing

I used this Japanese soy based wasabi dressing, added with a teaspoon of raw honey for the salad dressing. 

Wasabi is Japanese horseradish which has a sharp spicy taste. I like this wasabi dressing because it gives a subtle kick with the spiciness of horseradish and is yet well balanced by the sweet of a little honey. If you are not a fan of wasabi, go with any light soy-based or vinaigrette dressing of your preference. It will still taste delicious. Just remember, less is more with Lohei. Do not over douse with dressing. Keep it crisp, light and natural.

• Storage

For absolute freshness, I like to prepare my radish and carrots on the day of the toss or just the night before. But if time is really running short, the radish and carrot juliennes can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance. Store well in air-tight containers for freshness and kept refrigerated until use.