Lunar New Year is upon us once more, and this time it’s the Year of the Tiger! For anyone who doesn’t know, Lunar New Year is the celebration of another calendar year whose months are moon cycles based on the lunar calendar. Most commonly celebrated in the east and southeast Asian countries, the Lunar New Year is also called the Chinese New Year. This time of celebration is one for the books. Filled with feasts, gifts, and reunions, many celebrations across east and south Asia can last anywhere from three to 23 days!
This year, let our guide to the best Lunar New Year gifts help you to honor your loved ones and make celebrating a little easier for everyone involved.
Common Lunar New Year gifts
During the Lunar New Year, gifts are many and close between. While the holiday is widely known for its famous red envelopes filled with money and gifted by adults, small meaningful gifts to show your appreciation and consideration are a sign of good manners and can go a long way.
Across all Asian cultures, fruits, teas, alcohol, and herbal supplements all make great Lunar New Year gifts. Oranges and apples signify safety and fortune, ginseng root is highly sought after for its health benefits, and certain wines promote peace and longevity.
What is Umamicart?
While you’re making your Lunar New Year plans, Umamicart is waiting to help you out with all your Lunar New Year gift needs. Umamicart has all your favorite Asian groceries in one place available for delivery wherever you need them to go.
Shop for fruits, veggies, meats and tofu, ready-to-eat goods, snacks and sweets, and so much more right at the tip of your fingers. Popular brands of frozen foods, pantry goods, and childhood sweets have never been easier to find.
All you need to do to make your food dreams come true is to enter your zip code and begin shopping! Umamicart offers same-day delivery in NYC and next-day delivery to select mid-Atlantic states.
Make your Lunar New Year gifting as easy as possible with Umamicart, and welcome in the Year of the Tiger with luck and prosperity.
Our favorite Lunar New Year gift options from Umamicart
Southeast Asian Lunar New Year Celebration Package
This Southeast Asian Lunar New Year celebration package features a selection of 15 individual offerings perfect for the big family feast. BBQ skewers, crispy Goong sarong, tikoy rolls with sweet ube jam, and much more; your family members will be patting you on the back in no time. It’s a perfect compilation of all the favorites around SE Asia.
If you need any extra convincing, here are our favorites from the package.
1) Twin Marquis Hong Kong Pan Fried Noodle
These crispy pan-fried noodles will be a favorite wherever you’re celebrating. My order came with a great recipe that took around 30 minutes to make from prep to plate.
With home run favorites like sesame oil, cooking wine, scallions, and bean sprouts, I knew the recipe was going to come out great. I added ginger, garlic, and snap peas for an extra flair and drizzled chili oil on top for a spicy kick.
Price: $2.99
2) Manila’s Ihawan Pork Lumpia
If you want to taste homemade spring rolls straight out of the freezer, these pork Lumpia should be your next purchase.
Wrapped in thin crepe-like pastry, these Filipino favorites are filled with flavorful minced pork, onions, and carrots. Paired with sweet chili oil or soy sauce and a vegetable side, these Lumpia will make a great snack or appetizer well after the New Year is over.
Price: $7.99
3) Omsom Southeast Asian Starters, Pork Belly with Skin, and Green Thai Chili
Trying to make the perfect Lunar New Year’s dish but just can’t seem to get the flavors right? Have no fear; Omsom will help you get your dish tasting just like mom’s and ready to be the table’s center dish.
Try out the Thai Krapow starter and substitute the usual chicken protein for a thick, skin-on pork belly. The flavor of the fat from the pork belly breaking down and mixing with the aromatics from the starter will create a great base for your spices. Green Thai chili and some added basil will round out your dish for a delicious take on a loved classic.
Price: Omsom starters $28.99, Pork Belly 1.5lb $9.49, Thai Chili 8oz $2.99
East Asian Lunar New Year Celebration Package
This Southeast Asian Lunar New Year celebration package features a selection of 16 individual offerings perfect for the big family feast. A large whole red Tilapia, one yellow skin chicken, shrimp spring rolls, sweet ginger cake, and much more will have your family members patting you on the back in no time. It’s a perfect compilation of all the favorites around East Asia.
If you need any extra convincing, here are our favorites from the package.
1) Large Whole Red Tilapia, Cleaned
So, you want to cook to impress? I’ll say there’s nothing more impressive than showing up to Lunar New Year’s dinner with a whole fish.
This whole red tilapia is the perfect option for easy cooking that tastes great. It comes frozen, cleaned, and gutted, so all you have to do is defrost and get to work. I tried my hand at steaming my whole tilapia for the first time, and let me tell you. It was the talk of the table.
After steaming my fish, I sprinkled it lightly with salt and set it to the side. Then, I heated vegetable oil, scallions, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan until it was very hot (but not smoking). I immediately poured the oil mixture over the steamed fish and topped it with a drizzle of chili oil and a sprinkling of soy sauce.
Price: $5.29
2) Shanghai Shrimp Spring Roll
Shrimp lovers, we’ve got your new obsession in the form of these easy-to-make Shanghai shrimp spring rolls. These 12 crispy spring rolls, with tender shrimps and flavorful shiitake mushrooms, can be either baked or fried. They’ll give you a delightful crunch and spot-on taste every time.
Price: $3.99
3) JB Beef Gyoza
Dumplings are a favorite, no matter if you come from south or east Asia. The only downside is how long it takes to make from scratch. With the JB Beef Gyoza, you can skip prep time, head straight into cooking time, and still enjoy delicious beef gyoza for dinner.
Price: $3.99
4) Premium Fuji Apples
Fuji apples are some of the sweetest and most crisp apples across the board. While they can be enjoyed by themselves, they taste absolutely divine in pies, tarts, and jams as well.
My apples came to me in perfect condition and were sweet as can be. It was my original plan to save a couple for a dessert recipe, but I couldn’t help myself. By the end of the night, I ended up eating them all in slices. They were a perfect treat to satisfy my fruit and sweet tooth craving.
Price: $8.89
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