Hai Di Lao Soup Base: Where To Buy, How Much It Costs & Packaging Issues

The winter season is nigh upon us. While there are no snowflakes falling from the sky or visible breaths of smoke when we talk; it’s still holiday season! It’s time for reunions with friends and family; and there’s no better place to meet up and catch up then home sweet home. Looking to prepare steamboat at home? We’ve done the research, so you will know where to buy Hai Di Lao soup base for your year end reunions!

Hai Di Lao needs no introduction. With 4 outlets in Singapore, the Sichuan originated hot pot cuisine still easily commands at least a 2-hour wait thanks to the plethora of fresh ingredients, excellent service, and mouthwatering soup base.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="435"] Image Credits: With the Hai Di Lao soup base, you can easily recreate Hai Di Lao in the comfort of your own home this coming holiday season.

Hai Di Lao soup base flavours

There are a total of 6 commonly available Hai Di Lao soup base flavours to choose from (from left to right): Ma La, Tomato, Ma La Xiang Guo, Mushroom, Shrimp and Clear Soup.

[caption id="attachment_19210" align="aligncenter" width="671"]Sweetam, Qoo10, Posharp Store, Sweetam, Pandafood, Bydeals Image credits: Hai Di Lao soup base packaging

To all you eagle-eyed shoppers, you may have noticed that the Hai Di Lao soup base comes in 2 different packagings.

Packaging 1 VS Packaging 2

Packaging 1

[caption id="attachment_19238" align="alignnone" width="263"]Qoo10 hdl-soup-base-2

Fret not, the only difference lies in the packaging. Beneath the wrapper, both soup bases taste equally awesome without any difference in quality or ingredients.

The first packaging is designed for soup bases that are to be sold in China. The second packaging is meant for soup bases destined for importation into Singapore.

In order to meet AVA regulations, the product name has to be printed in English, and the packaging design was also changed to differentiate the sale destination of the products.

Also, read Riverside Grilled Fish – For Lovers Of Tongue-Numbing And Spicy Ma La Goodness!

Where to buy Hai Di Lao soup base

1. Buy Hai Di Lao soup base at supermarkets

According to gazillion forum posts and blogs, it is possible to buy them at 2 local supermarkets: Giant and Sheng Shiong.

There are a total of 62 Giant outlets and img_6656-min

The Hai Di Lao soup bases are neatly arranged on the shelf, together with other Chinese sauces and pastes.

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Here are the prices and what is available:
Mushroom flavour: $4.00
Tomato flavour: $4.60
Mala Xiang Guo flavour: $4.60
Shrimp flavour: $4.90
Mala flavour: $5.40.

Sheng Siong Supermarket

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FYI: To beat a steamboat craving in the unearthly hours of the night, just know that Sheng Siong Supermarket is open 24 hours.

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Here are the prices and what is available:
Mushroom flavour: $4.00
Tomato flavour: $4.50
Mala Xiang Guo flavour: $4.50
Clear soup: $4.90

Also, read Top 5 Steamboat & Hotpot Places That Rival Hai Di Lao

2. Buy Hai Di Lao soup base online

Thinking of buying the Hai Di Lao soup base online?

Why not? 1. screen-shot-2016-11-29-at-11-20-36-pm

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2. Taobao

Right, who could forget the CHEAPEST shopping site? We’ve sniffed out some legit, “gold medalist” sellers whom you can trust, so keep calm and shop on!

1. 各地选美食

This shop has been operating for 6 years. Do the math, and you get more than half a decade of reputation and reliability.

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That’s not all, buy 3 packets of soup base from this seller, and you get a free packet of Hai Di Lao kebab flavouring for a “dry hotpot” experience!

2. 香盈食品调味店

This shop refuses to be beat – it offers a free pack of Hai Di Lao bean paste dip for every 3 packets of Hai Di Lao soup base purchased.

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As you can probably tell by now, Taobao is awash with awesome bargains like this.

3. 川都食品

This seller asks for its buyers to choose 5 packs of soup bases out of 10 different flavours available in China, an easy feat considering the variety of flavours offered.

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Best thing is, shipping fees are covered by the seller.

3. Shopee.Sg

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4. Carousell

1. savour.ent

If the shop name sounds familiar, you’re not imagining things.

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savour.ent has a shop on Qoo10 too, check it out in the list above!

2. sgsoupbase

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Like savour.ent, this enterprising online store has left its mark in fullsizerender2

Seller camila57 sells a whole array of other Hai Di Lao products such as regular soup stocks and sauces, apart from hot pot soup bases.

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Looking at what’s available online, the prices are between SGD$5 and SGD$10.

Note that the soup bases are subjected to availability, which is why you should probably start snapping up these soup bases early.

There you go, a complete guide on where to buy your Hai Di Lao soup base in Singapore!

Header image credit: Hai Di Lao Tips: Essential Hacks That Will Save You Time, Money, And More!