To gear up for the upcoming Chinese New Year, we’re going to tempt you with all the yummy (and unhealthy) snacks and delicacies we all grew up with and love, especially when that time of the year is here – the season to pig out. We know, most of you want to stay fit for 2014, but who in their right mind would say no to these Chinese New Year goodies?! Here are 10 of our favourites.
1. Mandarin oranges – The culprit of all Chinese New Year coughs and colds, this is the number one must-have for the auspicious season. The best part about mandarin oranges is that they’re rarely sour!
2. Pineapple tarts – These small, bite-sized pastries are usually filled or topped with thick pineapple jam. Those that are made with extra flaky, buttery pastry are the best!
3. Arrowhead chips – Once you start munching on these crispy, savoury chips, you’ll never be able to stop. This root vegetable is sliced really thinly, deep fried in oil and then seasoned with some salt for that simple yet addictive flavour.
4. Bak kwa – Originally a Hokkien delicacy, this is a savoury-sweet pork meat jerky that’s marinated for hours and then grilled to greasy perfection. Don’t worry about the slightly charred parts of the jerky because those are the parts that are gonna taste bomb diggity!
5. Dragon cookies – These enjoyable tasty, melt-in-your-mouth milk-based cookies are light and creamy. They are usually also a favourite amongst children because of its dragon-like shape and the ‘eyes’ which are usually dotted with some red food colouring.
6. Peanut cookies – If you enjoy peanuts, you’ll love munching on these soft, sweet, buttery, peanut cookies. One is never, ever enough!
7. Love letters – Very tedious work is put into making these eggy tasty treats that crumble lightly in your mouth with every bite. Nowadays, they have come up with interesting flavours such as seaweed, coffee and sesame, but we think that the original is the best.
8. Crispy honeycomb – These tasty treats are crispy and very addictive. Usually made with the batter alone or dipped into some sesame seeds, these honeycomb crisps are made with a special mould with a variety of designs and shapes.
9. Nian gao – Not many people enjoy eating nian gao because of its extremely sticky texture. However, this tastes amazing when dipped in some batter and deep fried in some oil. Some also enjoy it when its fried together with some yam.
10. Prawn rolls – These are small rolls made by wrapping some prawn floss in popiah pastry, then fried in some oil until they are golden brown. Crunchy, savoury and satisfying, these prawn rolls are always a hit during CNY.
