If you’ve grown up celebrating the Lunar New Year, this was probably one of the most exciting times of our childhood: new clothes, days off from school, plenty of delicious meals, gifts of money and, best of all, a seemingly unlimited flow of snacks!
Actually, kids who don’t celebrate the Lunar New Year might find this time even more exciting since you get all of the above – minus the nagging relatives….
We might now be all grown up (more or less), but we’re still pretty excited about the snacks! With the plethora that are vying for our attention, which is worth our very limited caloric space?
Here's what the GastroSense team would actually spend their dollars on, and eat!
Hero Image Credit: YÀN Lunar New Year 2022 Prosperity Treats
Bing Blokbergen-Leow
Photo credit: Bing Blokbergen-Leow
Although there are myriad snack choices during Lunar New Year, the one thing that never fails to entice me is keropok. I enjoy keropok belinjau – a bitter savoury snack with a delicate aftertaste, but my favourite is fish keropok.
When it’s done well, the flavour is deeply savoury and robust, with an addictively crunchy texture. My family have made keropok from scratch many times: as each piece is scooped out from hot oil – sizzling, aromatic, golden, it’s irresistible.
Before we started making our own, I always thought keropok was not very pleasurable to eat. There would always be a small problem: it might be bland, or a little rancid, or not crunchy enough. But when I finally tasted some fresh ones, I realised that this was what real keropok – properly done, with heart – should taste like.
It is very troublesome to make, however. We don’t often make them fresh, but when we manage to get together for this, I treasure every bite.
Merissa Chong
What I love most during Lunar New Year? It has to be pineapple tarts! For years, my mum used to make them to gift relatives and friends. They were so popular that she received requests to sell additional bottles, so she started a small batch production from our kitchen and dining table aka ‘pastry station’.
For weeks leading up to Lunar New Year, she’d chop the pineapples and simmer them over the fire, constantly stirring so it doesn’t burn. The remaining juices were set aside for a refreshing beverage when mixed with water and lots of ice. Her jam was usually cooked to a consistency that I personally prefer – slightly chunky, with bits of pineapple; and it had, in my perhaps biased opinion, the right level of tartness, sweetness and caramelisation.
The crust of her open-face tarts is buttery and melt-in-the-mouth. And even today, she still insists on using a paring knife to carve out delicate decorations from the pastry dough. I remember helping with this when I was a kid – under her watchful eye, of course!
As the years pass, her production has gotten much smaller. Yet my mum continues to make a limited supply for immediate family as she knows how much we enjoy them. It is truly a labour of love.
L-R: Mama Chong's pineapple tarts - photo credit: Merissa Chong; Kueh Bangkit - photo credit: Eat What Tonight
Nickmatul Huang
Kueh bangkit has a special place in my heart. As someone with a mixed heritage, I like the fact that it's enjoyed by both sides of my family – so it feels more ‘inclusive’.
Additionally, there's a strong element of nostalgia; it’s one of my paternal grandparents’ favourite snacks. My grandfather, in particular, was a big fan: I remember him sitting quietly on the sofa, with a bottle of kueh bangkit on his lap, slowly savouring it piece by piece until half the jar was gone!
This also meant that he was quite fussy about it. It had to be aromatic: a soft coconut fragrance, lightly lifted by pandan; it had to be crumbly, tender, and melt in the mouth – never, ever crisp; which also means that it had to be white or slightly off-white, never brown.
So, until most of my aunties and uncles moved out of the house and making it became too troublesome, we would make all the Lunar New Year kueh bangkit ourselves by hand, from scratch – even squeezing out the coconut milk from coconut flesh ourselves – so that it would be perfect. It took days, but the result was always so enjoyable. Now when I think about kueh bangkit, I think about my grandparents and the days when all the house would smell like sweet coconut and pandan.
I seem to have inherited this fussiness. It means I’ve never found the perfect kueh bangkit. Every year I try a different brand and nothing comes close. But! I have a lot of fun trying.
Sheryl Neo
My must-have snack for Lunar New Year is definitely the Salted Egg Golden Roll by Rasa Sayang. These little delights are crunchy, golden deep-fried spring rolls coated in spicy salted egg yolk.
They are really addictive! The aroma is fragrant and enticing, and the slight spiciness adds just the right kick. Since they’re bite-sized, it’s hard to stop once you start eating them—I just keep popping them in!
I first came across Rasa Sayang at the Takashimaya Lunar New Year fair. At that time, they only had Salted Egg Yolk Chips, which we enjoyed. The next year, they launched these mini spring rolls, and they quickly became a hit in my family. Now, the chips have been completely replaced by these rolls during our Lunar New Year celebrations!
L-R: Mini Shrimp Rolls - photo credit: Bengawan Solo; Salted Egg Golden Roll - photo credit: Rasa Sayang
Matthew De Jesus
My must-have Lunar New Year snack is the Mini Shrimp Rolls from Bengawan Solo. These have a delightful shrimp aroma with a hint of spice. Their crispy and crunchy texture makes them especially satisfying to eat.
What makes me crazy about them is the balance between their addictive crunch, and the flavour. I absolutely love that little hint of spice – it’s the precise amount to pique my appetite!
I tried these in 2007, the very first year that I moved to Singapore. Having lived in Brunei previously, I wasn't very familiar with many Lunar New Year traditions. During the festive season, my parents and I were out in a mall and decided to visit the Bengawan Solo shop, which had been recommended by their local colleagues. While my parents were looking at the cakes and pandan rolls, I picked up the Mini Shrimp Rolls as I was craving something savoury. I opened and tried them immediately after my parents paid, and they have been one of my favourite snacks ever since. I've tried to cut back on eating too many, though, as I've heard they are quite an indulgent snack!
Michelle Lim
Photo credit: 603 Tau Sar Piah
My new must-have LNY snack is Lunar New Year snack is Chocolate Chip Cookies, but only those from 603 Tau Sar Piah and nowhere else. These bite-sized delights have a lovely crunchy and crispy texture, and their buttery aroma perfectly complements the slightly sweet chocolate chips and crushed almonds. It's everything I love about chocolate chip cookies.
I first tried these cookies at the end of 2023 when my colleagues were handling the account for 603 Tau Sar Piah’s Lunar New Year campaign. I was immediately hooked and knew I had to buy them for CNY 2024. As of the time of writing, I’ve already made my order and am eagerly anticipating their arrival.
Sadly, I can only have them once a year as they are not a regularly available item. This scarcity makes me appreciate them even more. I foresee myself looking forward to this every Lunar New Year!
Natalie Wan
I can’t resist bak kwa, especially if it’s from Lim Chee Guan. My family have been loyal customers, so I grew up eating their bak kwa and it’s always been consistently good.
I love the flavours and texture: it’s ‘meaty’, sweet and savoury all at the same time. The soft smokiness that comes from their expert grilling techniques adds depth to the flavour and, with the slight charred bits, textural contrast. Every bite is a pleasure.
Finding new ways of eating it with my family, and squabbling playfully over the last piece – these are some of my favourite Lunar New Year memories. Hot tip: reheat bak kwa in the microwave for 8 to 12 seconds – it’s the best way of eating it!
L-R: Bak kwa - photo credit: Lim Chee Guan IG; Green Pea Cookies - photo credit: Bread Garden
Clair Ong
Green pea cookies are my must-have during Lunar New Year! I love it for its texture—crispy and crumbly, yet they melt in your mouth with a bite. The natural sweetness of the green peas paired with a buttery finish creates the perfect balance between sweet and savoury.
When I was younger, I thought green pea cookies would be too “healthy” to taste good—probably because their green colour reminded me of vegetables. But every time my mum brought home a container, it seemed to vanish within days. I’d go to sleep and, like magic, another layer would be gone the next morning!
Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I decided to give them a try. To my surprise, they were delicious! Now, every time green pea cookies show up in the house during CNY, I’ve become one of the culprits responsible for making them disappear—sometimes within the blink of an eye.
Jiahui Ee
I’ve always loved the Golden Yuan Yang Love Letters from Mdm Ling Bakery. The Love Letter itself is light and crunchy, yet sweet and fragrant. It comes with a filling of chicken floss and seaweed, both savoury and rich. Yet somehow the flavours pair together perfectly, and are always delicately balanced. After having one, I feel like eating another. And another. And another!
I tried them some years ago when my cousin brought them to share during a LNY gathering. I instantly fell in love with them. Now it’s a must for my cousin and me to buy a few bottles every Lunar New Year.
L-R: Guan Yuan Yang Love Letters - photo credit: Mdm Ling Bakery; Arrowhead Chips - photo credit: Aunty Hong
Isaac Wong
My must-have snack for LNY will be and always has been arrowhead chips. Arrowhead chips have this dangerously addictive flavour that walks the knife-edge between savoury and slightly nutty; it just keeps you reaching for more. It’s the kind of taste that’s comforting yet indulgent, making it impossible to stop at one chip.
Beyond that, it’s the nostalgia factor that makes them so special. Arrowhead chips take me down memory lane to when I was a kid playing cards with my cousins while munching on said chips while the aunties and uncles would share stories when playing mahjong.
To me, these chips are more than just a snack; they’re a delicious gateway to cherished memories and a festive ritual I look forward to every year.
We're still days away from Lunar New Year, but all of us have already begun opening our jars and bottles in the name of "quality control". Have you?
