Yep, it’s that time of the year again. Here are the best Chinese New Year snacks to try out this year.
Old Seng Choong – Orange Peel Pineapple Tarts
$28.80 per tin. Available online and at Clarke Quay Central #01-48.
Old Seng Choong may not sound like a familiar name, but the man behind it is anything but a newbie to the industry. Pastry chef and entrepreneur Daniel Tay, better known as the guy who founded and sold off Bakerzin, is the driving force behind online bakery Old Seng Choong – which is very much like a modernised version of your traditional old school Chinese bakery. He also started online cheesecake store Cat & the Fiddle, which is best known for its Asian-inspired cake flavours.
It comes as no surprise then, that Old Seng Choong’s Chinese New Year goodies are more than up to standard. While the selection is still rather limited (no Kueh Bangkit yet, unfortunately), the range of Pineapple Tarts is definitely worth a gander. From the traditional Pineapple Tart to fusion picks like the Yuzu Pineapple Tart, we predict that Old Seng Choong will soon become a name to remember when it comes to Chinese New Year goodies.
If you have to pick just one Pineapple Tart to get (but why), go for the Orange Peel Pineapple Tarts. The pineapple paste is not overwhelmingly sweet, while the orange peel adds a hint of tartness and texture to the mix. Also, can we please take a moment to appreciate how the pineapple tarts are actually shaped like pineapples?
You can buy any of the goodies on Old Seng Choong’s website, or at their new retail store located at Clarke Quay Central (a good idea, if you want to shamelessly sample everything).
KELE – Golden Cheese Pineapple Balls
$28.80 per tin. Available at the Takashimaya Chinese New Year Fair or at the KELE store at 2 Smith Street, Chinatown. You can also call 65601249 or email them to place an order.
2017 was quite the year for cheese, what with cheese tarts and cheese tea taking our little island by storm – so are you really surprised that this year’s lineup of Chinese New Year goodies have jumped on the cheese bandwagon?
KELE’s Golden Cheese Pineapple Balls top the list, but this should be somewhat expected among the more experienced Chinese New Year snackers among us. KELE, if you didn’t already know, does some pretty awesome pineapple tarts and green pea cookies. In fact, their booth at the annual Takashimaya Chinese New Year Fair is always teeming with people, so that should be a testament to how legit their snacks are.
If you like your Pineapple Tarts rich, buttery and sweet, then these Golden Cheese Pineapple Balls will be right up your alley. Each ball of goodness is stuffed with a blend of sweet pineapple paste and savoury cheese, then topped off with more cheese. Definitely love at first bite – and we’re not being cheesy here.
Divine Fine Food – Hae Bee Hiam Cookies
$30 per tub. Call/SMS/WhatsApp 9113 5507 or email them to place an order.
Divine Fine Food is a relatively new player in the Chinese New Year game of goodies, but we have a feeling that they’ll be sticking around for quite sometime. For starters, they are one of the few places that do healthier versions of our favourite Chinese New Year snacks – and yes, they actually taste good too.
Their Hae Bee Hiam (spicy shrimp) cookies are a lighter alternative to prawn rolls, as they offer the same spicy kick without that gross oily aftertaste you sometimes get with fried snacks. The cookies are also made with a reduced sugar recipe, so chalk that up as another excuse to snack on these babies.
If you’re allergic to eggs, you’ll be pleased to know that Divine Fine Food also does a range of eggless cookies.
Pulse Patisserie – Salted Egg Floss Cream Puff
$15 for box of 6. Available online or at 180 Depot Road, #01-06, Singapore 109684.
Now, what’s a list of Chinese New Year goodies without any mention of some kind of salted egg snack? As much as we love our salted egg fish skin and chips, Pulse Patisserie is our pick this year. The Salted Egg Floss Cream Puff is an amalgamation of two of Singapore’s favourite flavours – salted egg and pork floss, of course. Granted, a box of these babies is pretty pricey, but nobody said you have to share them right? Kidding, kidding (but not really).
Each puff has a molten salted egg custard centre – which oozes out delightfully with each bite – and is topped off with a generous coating of sweet pork floss. Ahh, now that’s what we call perfection in a puff, as long as you don’t think about the calories. #DietBeginsNextMonth
(Source: Pulse Patisserie)
Cedele – Nasi Ulam Florentine
$21.50 per tub. Available online or at selected Cedele outlets.
After all that salted egg and cheese talk, we feel somewhat obliged to add a healthier option to this list. Cedele’s Nasi Ulam Florentine is a light cracker flavoured with Asian herbs, which honestly, is a welcome break from all the sweet snacks that often take centre stage during this festive feasting period. Go on, try one and see how addictive they can be.
The rice crackers are also gluten and dairy free, in case you needed more reasons to feel better about your snacking habit.
(Source: Cedele)
Bakerzin – Good Luck Cookies
$23.80 per box. Available online or at Bakerzin outlets.
If you’re looking for something that is easy to find and sure to please, Bakerzin’s Good Luck Cookies are worth a try. The cookies come in 8 flavours – Cereal Salted Egg Yolk, Thai Milk Tea and Charcoal Black Sesame to name a few – and are packaged in a charming two-tier box.
Packaging aside, the cookies are actually not too shabby taste-wise. The Thai Milk Tea and Coffee ones are especially aromatic, while the Chocolate ones will be a safe bet for even the pickiest of your visitors. The various flavours of cookies have different textures too – some soft and some crunchy – so we’ll hazard a guess that this magical box of cookies will have you covered for most occasions during this festive period.
Bonheur Patisserie – Chinese New Year Macarons
From $48 per set. Email them or contact them on Facebook to place an order.
Okay, okay…we’ll admit that the Chinese New Year Macarons Set from Bonheur Patisserie largely made this list because of how freakin’ cute they are. Yes, they are rather overpriced and yes, they are too pretty to eat, but…but…just look at them! We would be doing the world a disservice by not highlighting something this Insta-worthy yo.
The macaron flavours are Orange, Strawberry, Pistachio and Peach, and yes, they come in that cute dim sum case too. The perfect gift to impress your boss or in-laws, perhaps?
(Source: Bonheur Patisserie Facebook)
