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The upcoming Year of the Ox is ushering in a wide array of cow designs, which unfortunately, might still fail to convey how into the niu year you can get.

Step aside, normie bovine designs, because the only way to get into 2021 proper is via this wagyu red packet design.

Wagyu angbao

Local Japanese gourmet online grocer Zairyo announced the release of its Wagyu Angbao on Jan. 30 via Facebook.

The classic marbling of Japanese A4 Wagyu beef on their in-house designed red packet for 2021 takes offering people the fat of the land to the next level.

Angbao features

The front of the red packet displays the classic marbling of Japanese A4 Wagyu beef in red against a shiny gold background.

On the back, the seal flap on the length of the red packet comes with an auspicious Chinese greeting that translates to "Happy New Year".

Customers of Zairyo can receive a free pack of five red packets with a minimum spending of S$200 from Feb. 1 onwards, while stocks last.

How to buy

The red packets can also be purchased on their own via the website at S$8 for a pack of 10

Zairyo states that 80 per cent of the proceeds from the red packet sales will be donated to a charity of their choice.

Why A4 and not A5?

For the uninitiated, the highest grade A5 is rated for Wagyu beef with the most marbled fat content.

The second-highest grade A4 is often the preferred choice for Wagyu chefs and farmers to order at restaurants and cook at home.

With slightly less fat, the A4 is not as overwhelming and rich as the A5, while retaining the melt-in-the-mouth and umami qualities.

The A5 is regarded more as an experience and a feast for the eyes, while the A4 is a balance between both a meal and an experience.

Other cool designs

Covid-19 may have reduced the number of house visits this Chinese New Year, which may have a direct impact on the number of red packets collected this year.

However, it has not stopped local designers from letting their creative juices go free, albeit a little too far sometimes.

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Top images by Zairyo.