We may be entering year three of the ‘new normal’, but that doesn’t mean the new year should be any less celebratory! As we approach the festive Chinese New Year 2022 season, you’re probably looking for ideas for CNY gifts so that you don’t arrive empty-handed during your visits. Or maybe you’re looking to stock up at home so that guests always have a belly full of treats.
We’ve rounded up the top gifts sets, cookies, and snacks from local artisans, so you’re prepared to attack the year of the tiger with enthusiasm.
The Baking Trip
Known for their beautifully styled (and delicious to boot) sourdough bakes, The Baking Trip presents a CNY basket that pairs Ghostbird’s drip bag coffee with the most delicious cookies of the season. Limited to only 50 sets, the CNY 2022 Gift Basket comes with Orange Marmalade Butter Cookies, Matcha Chocolate Almond Fudge Tart, Red Dates Yeast Rice Cookie, and Nutty Seeds Candy.
And to wash all that sweetness down, brew yourself a cup of Ghostbird coffee with a selection of Sidama, Ranau, Panama, and Milkyway that comes with the sweet collaboration. Go on and slide into the DMs of The Baking Trip over on Instagram to find out more, or pre-order a set for yourself!
Chai Huat Hin
In the spirit of keeping the tradition alive, Chai Huat Hin, a traditional oriental grocery, has launched three curated gift boxes for those looking to gift with heart this festive season. Available for pre-order at RM388, expect the best of traditional dried ingredients full to the brim with auspicious wishes and blessings for the coming year.
With three sets available – aptly named Reunion, Peace, and Happiness – each gift box includes but is not limited to abalone for good fortune, sea cucumber for well wishes and blessings, scallops for new opportunities, and bird’s nest for good health.
Each box set also comes with five pieces of Chai Huat Hin’s premium braised abalones, but the offer is only up for grabs while stocks last, so pre-order on their website now.
UnBOX By Huff and Puff
In the olden days, meat was considered a luxury that not everyone could afford, and thus it became a thing reserved for special occasions. Today, bakkwa (salty and sweet meat jerky) has retained its lavishness as a popular treat for friends and family during the festive season of new beginnings.
A Hokkien sweet meat treat barbecued to a deep red; it’s almost exclusively served during CNY as the colour is seen as auspicious in Chinese traditions, symbolising good luck and prosperity. And the SPIN.TIGERS.SPIN set offered by UnBOX by Huff and Puff is dedicated to all bakkwa lovers. Collaborating with BAK-OFF by Oloiya, expect 50 pieces of BBQ goodness with 10 delicious flavours. Spin the tigers and let lady luck decide on your fateful flavour!
UnBOX also has you covered with the nostalgia-inspired CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN NUTRIENTS set if you’re looking for something healthy. This wooden set is a mini medicine cabinet for your loved ones!
Yugo Gato
Behind each box of CNY cookies is a relentless appetite craving for them. Not a single day would go by during the 15 days of the CNY festive period without seeing or even having your hand wander inexplicably towards the wealth of cookies and snacks displayed. Thrive and strive in the year of the tiger with a Flourish Basket from Yugo Gato Patisserie & Bakery.
Known for their adorable customised cakes and cupcakes, the CNY 2022 Flourish Basket is packed to the brim with cookies that will help you usher in the new year with a belly full of treats and a smile on the lips.
Available in limited quantities only, be sure to snag a basket for yourself with Yugo Gato’s Signature Coffee Butter Cookies, Choco Chips Cookies, Double Choco Chips Cookies, Original Butter Cookies, Mixed Nuts, Flower Tea, and Popcorn by DM-ing them over on their Instagram.
My Place Pâtisserie
CNY is rarely complete without eating at least one pineapple tart, so enter My Place Pâtisserie. Their melt-in-your-mouth pineapple balls are buttery on the outside and sweet on the inside with a homemade pineapple filling.
Get your fill of the sweet and savoury cookie by buying it in a bundle with their other offerings such as Macadamia Dark Chocolate Callets Cookies, Matcha White Chocolate Callets Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, or Cashew Almond Cookies for only RM180. Drop them a message over on WhatsApp to find out more.
Baked KL
Having provided gluten-free and vegan dessert options since 2013, Baked KL is, of course, in the business of offering a healthier spin on the classic pineapple tart.
Order them in individual jars at RM25 or as a set as a gift to loved ones (or just for yourself, who’s judging?) with the Happiness Crate. Get the Vegan Pineapple Bomb Cookies, Vegan White Cranberry Cookies, Vegan Cracker Cookies, a Rhymba Hills Lemongrass & Bentong Ginger Tea Box, and a coloured crate that is easily repurposed as an organiser or decor at RM139.
They’re selling fast as we approach CNY 2022, so pre-order them on their website while you still can!
The Fish Bowl
With an entire menu curated around super-fresh poke bowls and salads, you know The Fish Bowl is a go-to for the season. What are we referring to? Yee sang, of course! As the Chinese word for ‘fish’ sounds close to the word ‘abundance’, yee sang has become a symbol for good luck, prosperity, health, and all things auspicious.
For its take on yee sang, The Fish Bowl offers a classic with a twist, incorporating the traditional ingredients but with a generous helping of chunky-cut salmon sashimi on a bed of finely-sliced carrot and white radish.
Available in two sizes: Small for three to four pax at RM48 and Large for six to eight pax at RM68. Order it via GrabFood or pre-order on their website for your celebrations.
