For those who don’t want to brave the crowds in Yaowarat this Chinese New Year, having some frozen shrimp shumai at home could be an option. We round up five store-bought microwave varieties for a blind test.

1.) Jade Dragon

Price: B72 for 15 pieces (250g)
Prep Time: 3 mins (water added)
The taste: Being made by a Chinese restaurant clearly didn’t help. The freezer burn in their shumai is unmistakable. The stuffing tastes a bit unnatural and odd, too. The only reason you’ll buy it is to let it sit and savor the sesame aroma.
Verdict: Pretty nasty. Save your baht; shumai from street stalls is much better.

2.) S&P

Price: B72 for 10 pieces (150g)
Prep Time: 3.5 mins (water added)
The taste: Don’t let this trusted family brand fool you. Their shumai is a mix of shrimp and pork. Result: a putrid, fishy dish, kind of like seafood that’s been sitting in a market too long. And the sauce that comes in the package is way too sour.
Verdict: Sour fish meatballs in the form of shumai.

3.) Surapon Foods

Price: B89 for 12 pieces (192g)
Prep Time: 4 mins
The taste: A pretty appetizing shrimp flavor, and the stuffing melts in your mouth. However, we’re not satisfied with their dough—very mushy and soggy. Their sauce, too, is so sour that the shumai tastes better off without it.
Verdict: Slightly better than average.

4.) Tops

Price: B109 for 12 pieces (192g)
Prep time: 4 mins
The taste: This one has a great creamy texture and the actual taste of shrimp. It even has a peppery touch to it—just the way we like it. Surprisingly, the company making these for Tops is Surapon Foods (our runner up), so we guess the extra B20 makes all the difference.
Verdict: Our favorite.

5.) Jiro

Price: B64 for 5 pieces (150g)
Prep Time: 4.5 mins
The taste: These big, chunky shumai look awesome, but there’s nothing special about the flavor. The dough is too hard and has a weird, undercooked taste. The stuffing is lumpy and has no taste of shrimp: think mystery meat with some frozen, crunchy veggies tossed in for good measure.
Verdict: Looks aint’ everything. Skip it.

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