Ready to feast: Some of the pre-cooked food items available at Chan’s (below) shop in Lebuh Pantai, Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
Pre-cooked traditional CNY dishes in demand months ahead of celebration
GEORGE TOWN: With Chinese New Year just four months away, pre-cooked dishes like fish maw porridge and braised abalone are becoming increasingly popular.
Their convenience and affordability have led to a surge in demand, prompting food distributors to stock up on these items.
Datuk Chan Lim Kuan, managing director of an importer and retailer of Chinese herbs and medicine, said more consumers were opting for the convenience of pre-cooked dishes in recent years.
“We have a variety of bird’s nest beverages as well as packaged dishes in sealed containers are easy to open and can be consumed directly without the hassle of cooking from scratch.
“These meals are convenient to ‘carry and eat’. Furthermore, they are affordable for most people to stock up at home for personal consumption or to present as gifts.
“They come with utensils for eating directly from the containers that can be heated with just hot water,” he said.
Chan added that he started importing them from China as the strength of the ringgit at present made it cost-effective.
“These food items have a longer shelf life and are gaining popularity in the local market.”
He said his regular clients were placing orders for hampers and promotions.
Chan said larger shipments of a variety of fresh products would be arriving at his shop soon.
“Seafood such as fish maw, sea cucumber and abalone have always been popular and will be arriving about three months before the festival to ensure that they are fresh,” he said.
By the end of this year, he expects to offer over 200 types of food products.
Chan, however, acknowledged that uncertainties in the global economy have put a dampener on the festive mood.
“People used to celebrate Chinese New Year with extravagant meals.
“But in recent years, their spending has dropped and the celebration has toned down with fewer families coming to feast together.
“Some families who opt to celebrate on a smaller scale will go for packaged food as this is more convenient for them,” he said.
He predicted that these households would make their preparations at the last minute, with the market expected to be slow.
Still, medical hall owner Lee Xi Wen believes that the Chinese community will prepare early to usher in Chinese New Year to avoid crowds at the shops.
“Although Chinese New Year is still several months away, many customers are already starting to stock up on the necessary ingredients.
“Dried meat as well as abalone, mushrooms and a variety of herbs are usually sought-after for the celebration,” he said.
Lee said the stronger ringgit now was an added bonus for consumers.
“They can save up to 10% on imported food stuff. This will help cushion the impact of any high prices. However, do not expect a lot of difference in prices compared with previous years as the cost of material and labour is constantly on the rise,” he said.
Chinese New Year falls on Jan 29 next year.
