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Your last-minute CNY shopping list: A guide to easy, stress-free feasts
Here’s to less time prepping, and more time enjoying the season
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Left it too late? You can order most of your CNY food essentials online and have it delivered to your doorstep.
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In the last-minute CNY shopping rush, avoiding the festive crowds becomes a top priority.
As the Chinese New Year celebrations draw closer, the convenience of online platforms like Amazon Fresh becomes a game-changer.
With a wide selection of fresh produce and grocery items, Amazon Fresh caters to the festive season’s needs with many budget-friendly options and deals on daily essentials, ranging from gourmet food to cleaning supplies.
You can schedule delivery slots at your convenience on the same day or next day, with free delivery for Prime members on orders over $150. Sign up for a free 30-day trial to explore the benefits of Prime membership.
Take a read through our shopping list that provides smart shortcuts to effortless meals, from delicious Haidilao hot pot stock to vegan-friendly yusheng, so you spend less time prepping and more time enjoying the season with your loved ones.
Here are some Chinese New Year deals to look out for:
- Buy 2, get 38 per cent off Lukan mandarin oranges, New Moon abalone and more
- Buy more, save more on Coca-Cola, New Moon and more
- 10 per cent off when you spend $80 on selected items
- Up to 30 per cent off Tiger and Heineken beer
- Up to 26 per cent off Louis Jadot red and white wine
- Up to extra $15 off when you check out with HSBC cards
Keep scrolling for a checklist of what to add to your virtual grocery cart.
Amp up your yusheng
Fresh Produce Yusheng Tri-colour Shredded Vegetables, $12.80
Buy 2, save 38 per cent
PHOTO: AMAZON
Save time shredding all the fresh veg needed for your yusheng dish, and just grab this pack that contains fresh shredded carrot, white daikon and green radish. Simply pile on and toss away.
Sing Long Yusheng, $17.15
Original price: $21.35 (20 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
This pack contains all the classic condiments needed for this must-have CNY dish, like the ginger slices, pickled chinese cucumber, all-important crackers, ground sesame, pepper and sauce. Just add your fresh shredded veg and salmon on top.
Zenxin Rainbow Yusheng, $18.88
Buy 2, save 20 per cent
PHOTO: AMAZON
If you’ve got a vegetarian in your group, this vegan-friendly yusheng features all-natural ingredients, like organic carrot and ginger pickles, pumpkin and spinach bo cui, and handmade beetroot noodles to provide the crunch.
This set is large enough to serve up to eight people. Just top off with your own fresh shredded vegetables and serve.
Original price: $8.90 (11 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
This smoked salmon has been smoked the traditional way with beech wood, and helpfully already comes pre-sliced. Simply add on top of your dish for a hit of salty umami.
New Moon Australia Abalone, $42.80
Original price: $55.80 (23 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
The creamy yet briny taste and chewy bite of abalone will make your dish all the more luxurious.
Sunny Fruit Fresh Pomelo, $8.05
PHOTO: AMAZON
Some yusheng can be too sweet, so add citrus freshness by breaking up clusters of pomelo into your dish.
Easy steamboat and hot pot hacks
Hai Di Lao Broth Flavour Hot Pot Seasoning, $2.36
Original price: $3.83 (38 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Re-create the Hai Di Lao experience at home with this easy seasoning pack to flavour your soup. Each pack is large enough for up to five people, so stock up on a few packets so you can easily top up the soup.
Original price: $3.83 (38 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Mala lovers can use this as a soup base, which is made from boiling beef tallow, green and red Sichuan peppers, for the hot pot. Serve with crushed garlic and sesame oil dip on the side. This can also be added as seasoning to a stir fry for a kick of fire.
PHOTO: AMAZON
Simmered for eight hours, this pork collagen broth has no added MSG or preservatives. Use it to add a rich, luxurious flavour to your steamboat soup.
Original price: $12.90 (19 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Beef short plate offers great flavour due to its high fat content, making it perfect to deepen the flavour of your soup. This pack serves the beef in thin strips, ideal for dipping directly into your hot pot without any prep.
PHOTO: AMAZON
Also known as Berkshire pork, the juicier and more tender texture with high marbling make this ideal in a steamboat.
Original price: $6.62 (23 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Hand made with minced chicken thigh and combined with shiitake mushroom, these chicken balls offer a tasty addition to your steamboat.
Original price: $8 (11 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Throw in some scallops as a quick way to sweeten your soup. These don’t take long to cook. Just wait for them to turn opaque and firm, and fish them out for the perfect bite.
Catch Seafood Jumbo Prawns, $29.54
PHOTO: AMAZON
As with scallops, prawns also add sweetness to the broth. This box contains up to 12 pieces of jumbo tiger prawns, which were live frozen to lock in freshness.
They can also be cooked on the bbq if you’re enjoying a combo steamboat and bbq this festive season.
Alcohol and beverages
Tiger Soju Infused Lager Cheeky Plum, $78
Original price: $99.31 (21 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Anyone who watches a lot of K-dramas will be familiar with somaek, a cocktail of beer and soju. Tiger adds a twist to their lager by infusing it with soju and plum for subtle spiciness. It’s the perfect drink to enjoy with your meal, or as an accompaniment with snacks.
Original price: $37.50 (34 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Best served with seafood or as an accompaniment to yusheng, this New Zealand white has a zesty flavour of citrus, blackcurrant leaf and a hint of basil.
The best part is its affordable price, which means you can stock up on a few bottles on offer to serve to visiting family and friends.
19 Crimes Red Blend, $21.99
Original price: $26 (15 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
This super affordable red wine is surprisingly tasty, with a rating of 4 on Vivino. It’s sure to be a real crowd pleaser with its full flavour of dark berry, with hints of chocolate and cedar.
Original price: $21.75 (29 per cent off)
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For those who prefer to stay away from alcohol this variety pack of tea allows visitors to choose between Ayataka green tea, oolong tea or Ceylon black tea for a healthy, refreshing drink.
Buy 5, save 18 per cent
PHOTO: AMAZON
Nothing beats the taste of the original Coke, with a flavour enjoyed by both young and old.
Snacks and goodies for entertaining
Lukan Mandarin Oranges, $19.90
Buy 2, save 38 per cent
PHOTO: AMAZON
This 40-piece box set of mandarins ensures you will never be caught out when visitors arrive or when you are doing your round of CNY house visits.
Glory Pineapple Tarts, $20.80
PHOTO: AMAZON
What is Chinese New Year without pineapple tarts? The Glory tarts are made from real butter and flour, and have a generous amount of pineapple jam.
Original price: $13.32 (38 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Another favourite CNY snack during this time are love letters. This Glory version adds a twist with chicken floss on the inside for added deliciousness.
Bee Cheng Hiang Sliced Pork, $30.18
Original price: $39.73 (24 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Reduce waste by leaving out individually packed pieces of bak kwa for visitors to help themselves to. It also works well as a gift.
Glico Pocky CNY Gift Pack, $8.78
Original price: $13.93 (37 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Sure to be a crowd pleaser with the kids, this gift pack contains four flavours: Chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, and green tea.
Irvins Salted Egg Potato Chips, $18.16
Original price: $19.62 (7 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
There will always be plenty of CNY cookies and snacks around this time of the year, but you can round out your snack offerings by including these addictive salted egg crisps that comes in its own resealable pouch.
Original price: $22 (9 per cent off)
PHOTO: AMAZON
Ideal for health-conscious snackers, this contains a portion-controlled snack pack of crunchy peanuts, cashews and pumpkin seeds coated in a delicious chilli and tomato paste.
All prices are correct at time of publication
Last-minute CNY shopping: Money-saving tips and tricks
Even if you’re in a rush, it helps to take a step back and make a plan of attack to maximise your time and effort.
Start your shopping list
Explore Amazon Fresh ahead of time. This enables you to start building your list and also tap into all the deals available this season.
Start by listing all the ingredients and items you need. It helps to categorise them by dish type, festive snacks and beverages, as an example.
For anything you can’t find on Amazon Fresh, plan a supermarket run to top off any missing items.
Set your budget
It’s easy to get carried away when you come across so many delicious items. Keep an eye out on all the combo deals and specials to stretch your dollar while still ensuring a grand festive spread.
Leverage Amazon Fresh features
Add items to your cart to keep track of potential purchases. You’ll get email notifications should items drop in price.
The platform’s product recommendations are also very helpful in highlighting items other shoppers have purchased or similar items you may be interested in.
Stack and save
Take advantage of item discounts, buy more, save more deals and bank discounts and stack them in your order to ensure the best savings possible.
Plan your delivery
In the pre-CNY rush, the last thing you want is to miss out on your preferred delivery slot.
Plan for multiple deliveries: one for frozen food or anything non-perishable that can be stored ahead of time, and another delivery concentrating on fresh ingredients closer to your celebration days.
This will help to reduce any last-minute stress.
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