Every Chinese New Year, one dish takes centre stage on the dining table – the yusheng. Also known as the prosperity toss, it is a medley of raw fish, shredded vegetables, crispy crackers, and an assortment of sauces and condiments.
Most would agree that one of the best parts of this CNY staple is the lo hei portion, where loved ones gather around the dish to toss it all while shouting out auspicious sayings to ring in the new year.
But amid the rising cost of living, some may wonder what yusheng options are out there and how affected the prices of these platters are.
To answer these questions, CNA Lifestyle scoped out huat is in the yusheng market.
SUPERMARKET YUSHENG PLATTERS
It’s no surprise that supermarkets offer the most affordable options. Convenient and budget-friendly, these yusheng sets are popular among those who just want a simple, fuss-free lo hei.
Sheng Siong, for example, sells the 730g Kwong Cheong Thye Fa Cai Yu Sheng platter at S$17.80 while NTUC FairPrice offers Sing Long’s yusheng platters, such as the 350g Loh Hey Yu Sheng priced at S$11.90 and the 600g Old Chinese Yu Sheng and Yusheng In Plastic Box sets, which are S$15.90 and S$15.95, respectively.
But how do these sets fare against last year’s?
Speaking to CNA Lifestyle, a Sheng Siong spokesperson said that their yusheng set prices range between S$11 and S$25, depending on the size, and have “largely remained the same as last year”.
“Retail prices were updated to factor in the adjustment of GST to 9 per cent. However, this has been borne by Sheng Siong with the ongoing 1 per cent storewide discount. As for our house brand Happy Family Yusheng, its price has been the same as last year at S$13.85,” he added.
Comparisons against FairPrice’s Chinese New Year Catalogue 2023 revealed that the Sing Long yusheng platters saw a 10-cent increase, except the Yusheng In Plastic Box which got a rise of 15 cents.
Notably, Earthen Pot’s 600g Vegetarian Fa Cai Yu Sheng faced a S$1 price hike, while Chef Chen’s Prosperity Green Tea Yu Sheng saw a 90-cent increase from last year.