Turn down for huat! This CNY, we’re bingeing on mala pineapple tarts, herbal chicken cookies and more.
Chinese New Year goodies like pineapple tarts, love letters and bak kwa are the cornerstone of festive snacking; especially useful for stuffing your face when you’ve got to fend off endless questions about your love life and your career from the umpteenth relative of the day. But beyond the traditional treats, brands across the island are constantly thinking up unexpected flavours to keep things interesting. Intrigued? Read on…
Kele
What started out as a little confectionery decades ago has since bloomed into a go-to brand for pineapple tarts. As usual, Kele doesn’t disappoint, with its rich variety of the CNY tidbit in flavours like rose, sweet potato, matcha and cocoa. Whether you prefer the open-faced, flower-shaped ones or the golden-brown spheres, there’s something for everyone.
Kele, available online and at 2 Smith Street, Singapore 058917
Old Seng Choong
Known for its bakes inspired by local flavours (laksa or cereal prawn cookies, anyone?), Old Seng Choong takes its experimentation to the next level with two new cookie creations. Imperial herbal chicken is made aromatic with the use of Chinese angelica root, ginseng and star anise, while Fatt Choy is an umami bomb of dried oysters and black moss. Can’t resist a buttery pineapple tart? Try the fig version, which is infused with jasmine green tea.
Old Seng Choong, available online and at multiple locations including The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and Clarke Quay Central.
Pineapple Tarts Singapore
With a name like that, you know this brand has only one snack in mind (although it actually does sell other treats). But pineapple tarts are the main star for good reason. These orbs of sweet and savoury goodness melt in your mouth like butter – and now they come with an added touch of cheese, salted egg or even mala flavours. A stickler for spice? Try the mala fish skin for crackle with a kick.
Pineapple Tarts Singapore, available online.
Baker’s Brew
A homegrown store in love with cakes, Baker’s Brew takes a stroll down the Peranakan nostalgia lane this CNY. Influenced by childhood nibbles, its collection of crunchy cookies comes packed with flavour. Think ondeh ondeh made with pandan-infused dough and gula melaka coconut filling, tutu kueh with roasted peanuts, and nutty black sesame.
Baker’s Brew Studio, multiple locations including Great World City and Paragon.
Sofitel Singapore City Centre
The pineapple tarts at the hotel’s restaurant, Racines, are an intriguing breed of their own. Want something sweet and tangy? Take home a jar of Coconut Malibu goodies. Prefer a savoury, even creamy twist? Surprise your fam with the luxe foie gras option.
Sofitel Singapore City Centre, available online and at 9 Wallich Street, Singapore 078885
Culina at Como Dempsey
Cookies are the easiest way to please the pickiest of guests, so stock up on a few tubs from Culina. The grocer’s doling out Milo, lychee, yuzu, hae bee hiam and chilli crab creations that are egg-free and bite-sized – perfect for all-day grazing.
Culina at Como Dempsey, 15 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249675
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Black may not be the luckiest colour, but Grant Hyatt Singapore’s charcoal bamboo sesame love letters will stand out on any red-hued CNY snack table, enticing everyone to have a nibble. We’re guessing your guests will be talking about these crispy rolls for a while.
Grand Hyatt Singapore, available online and at 10 Scotts Road, Singapore 228211
Janice Wong
Janice Wong is a name synonymous with fancy chocolate, and the local dessert maestro doesn’t disappoint with her CNY-exclusive hae bee hiam (dried shrimp sambal) chocolate bars. If you need more cocoa in your life, make a beeline for the jars of chocolate-coated love letters (in an auspicious shade of orange, no less) and chocolate-covered pineapple tarts. Bak kwa also gets a cookie makeover with chocolate and pork floss variations, alongside the brand’s new hae bee hiam cookie offering.
Janice Wong, available online and at multiple locations including Paragon and Raffles City.
Bonus: Seriously Keto
Okay, so this bakery isn’t gunning for flavours that are out of the norm. But if you’d like to do CNY the keto way, stock up on its low-carb, no-gluten and zero-sugar goodies like cashew cookies, cheese crisps and kueh buloh for a relatively healthy twist to the festivities. Guilt-free snacking? Yes, please!
Seriously Keto, available online and at 32 Seah Street, Singapore 188388
