Lomi salmon (more commonly known as
lomi-lomi salmon) is a side dish in
Hawaiian cuisine. It is a fresh
tomato and
salmon salad, and was introduced to Hawaiians by early western sailors. It is typically prepared by mixing raw salted, diced salmon with tomatoes, sweet gentle
Maui onions (or sometimes
green onion), and occasionally flakes of hot red
chili pepper, or crushed
ice. It is always served cold. Other variations include salmon, diced tomato, diced
cucumber, and chopped
sweet onion. The name
lomi-lomi salmon is taken from the method of preparation. The shredding (dicing) and mixing of the salmon is done by massaging the salted fish with other ingredients by hand (
lomi-lomi is Hawaiian for "to massage").