Traditional CNY snacks are still the way to go, but quirky and interesting snacks are how you win over the netizens.
Here are some of the more interesting CNY snacks for the Year of the Rat.
Baker’s Brew – Black Sesame Tangyuan In Cookie Form
We’re still far from this year’s Winter Solstice but honestly, we don’t need any reason to crave for glutinous rice balls. Baker’s Brew has managed to transform our all-time favourite black sesame tangyuan into a crispy and fragrant cookie.
The sweet fragrance of black sesame immediately greeted us when we tore apart the packaging. Sprinkled with white and black sesame, the cookies were a delight and dangerously addictive. While being crispy on the outside, they were not overly dry on the inside. The nuttiness of the black sesame lingered in our tastebuds while we involuntarily reached out for a second piece.
Another hot favourite from Baker’s Brew is their Ondeh Ondeh Cookies. The Peranakan-inspired bake tasted like an actual Ondeh Ondeh. Coupled with a generous amount of gula melaka coconut filling, we expect this to be a hit across the different generations.
Siao La Mala Pineapple Tarts
Looks like the Mala trend is here to stay. We’re seeing a lot of mala flavoured snacks this year, with the Siao La Mala Pineapple Tart a standout. According to Pineappletarts.sg, it’s like enjoying a Mala hotpot or a Mala Xiang Guo in dessert form.
These pineapple tarts from Pineappletarts.sg are hand-rolled and freshly baked from the oven. The online reviews have generally been positive, with some netizens even pledging them to be the best pineapple tarts you can find in Singapore.
The folks from Pineappletarts.sg have also launched a Pineapple Tarts Spicy Challenge – to finish eating 5 of their extremely spicy pineapple tarts within 3 minutes. Unfortunately, for those who wish to take on the challenge, these fiery tarts are currently sold out.
Spicybae Bak Kwa by Mr Bae
A new contender in the field of premium bak kwa this year is Spicy Bae by Mr. Bae. The individually packed bak kwa slices are marinated with a fusion of Chinese and Japanese Mala ingredients for a month.
Reviews have said that you can feel the numbness and spiciness slowly kicking in towards the end and that the spiciness is similar to a Zhong La (Medium) level of spiciness.
Old Seng Choong – Emperor Herb Chicken Cookies
Never would we have imagined a world where we’d see herbal chicken in the form of cookies. This combination seemed impossible, but Old Seng Choong has managed to capture the entire essence of herbal chicken and compressed it into a cookie.
What we enjoyed were the hints of Chinese angelica, otherwise know as dang gui, and star anise in every bite.
This is not the first time Old Seng Choong has rolled out interesting flavours – its Kampung Spirit Collection boasts items such as Bak Kut Teh Cookies and Cereal Prawn Cookies.
Interesting CNY Snacks: Yay or Nay?
A yay from us. It’s nice to see new snacks to keep the younger generation interested in Chinese New Year. However, while we appreciate the innovative CNY snacks, some of the best Chinese New Year snacks are timeless and irreplaceable, such as love letters and almond cookies.
What are some of your favourite CNY snacks?
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