The best Chinese New Year snacks to savour this festive season
While the main courses at any Chinese New Year gathering are no doubt important, it’s a common sentiment that CNY snacks are also another key highlight of the celebration.
Now that we can finally resume normal celebrations again, the aunts, uncles and distant relatives (you know, the ones that harass you with their nosy questions) that you’ve managed to avoid the last two years will be coming around once again.
How to keep them quiet in your sanctuary, you ask? Try laying out some of these delicious Chinese New Year snacks that’ll keep them occupied. If all else fails, you know that they’ll at least be impressed, and that’s really all the validation you need at the end of this Lunar festive period before the cycle repeats itself again next year.
If you need a list of specific CNY snacks, we’ve got you covered with a list of the best bak kwa around and more. Alternatively, we’ve put together a register of treats this year that range from classic favourites to fresh, new creations to snack on. Read on for the full list. And if you haven’t already, check out our guide to the best CNY menus here.
Munch on the best Chinese New Year snacks in Singapore this 2023:
(Main and featured image: Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel)
From bak kwa to nian gao and an assortment of cookies, Shangri-La Singapore has introduced a wide variety of delectable treats for the festive season. Its applewood minced pork bak kwa is worth every calorie — the meat is tender and succulent with a tinge of smokiness (courtesy of being roasted over US applewood for two hours), and comes in individually wrapped slices for convenience. Also particularly outstanding are its original pineapple tarts, which are shaped to resemble golden ingots and comprise sweet pineapple filling ensconced within light, flaky pastry. The hotel has also released a yuzu version of the tarts, which are pineapple-shaped and stuffed with the citrusy paste. If you can’t say no to nian gao, try the red date nian giao, which is naturally sweetened with premium Xin Jiang red dates and topped with bird’s nest for a luxurious twist. — Sara Yap
Address
22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Website
Hop into CNY with The Marmalade Pantry. Apart from their signature Lunar New Year snacks – think Golden Pineapple Tarts, Sambal Shrimp Rolls, and Traditional Petite Chicken Bak Kwa – they’ve also introduced a new addition to the mix, the Osmanthus Cranberry Cookies. Apart from the Bak Kwa, which comes individually vacuum-packed in a pink and yellow octagon-shaped box, the rest of the treats are featured in an air-tight tin canister featuring illustrations of The Marmalade Pantry’s signature olive stalks with a gold lamp lock. We recommend getting The Signature Collection – a medley of all four snacks that’s presented in a premium gift bag – as it’s perfect for visitors or as a gift when you go visiting.
The Marmalade Pantry’s 2023 Lunar New Year snacks and gift sets are available for pre-order from now to 2 February 2023 at all outlets – The Marmalade Pantry ION, Downtown, and The Marmalade Pantry Petite Bugis, as well as via the online store.
Address
Multiple outlets
Website
We’re obsessed with the offerings from Lady M this season, and it’s not hard to see why. The limited edition bons bons that’s been released in collaboration with Sanrio’s My Melody are almost too cute to eat, complete with think flavours like Golden Tangerine Pearl and Prosperous Plum Blossoms packed in little boxes.
The festive pineapple mille crepes may sound a little sketchy for those who aren’t too fond of fruit in desserts, but we’ve recently shared at a party with guests of all ages, and it’s a 100 percent yes to the combination of paper-thin crepes, pineapple pastry crème, golden pineapple glaze, white wine gelée.
Address
Multiple outlets
Website
Phone
Website here
Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s Golden Nian Gao Tarts are something we look out for every year. Apart from being filled with Purple Sweet Potato and Yam, they’ve also launched a Cempedak Custard flavour, an addictive one-bite wonder that comes with smooth velvety custard filled with sweet, fibrous cempedak fruit. Prefer something less adventurous in terms of flavour? The morish Pineapple comes in a close second place.
Address
320 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238865
Website
Da Paolo Gastronomia is celebrating the Spring Festival with a medley of snacks and treats for your next Chinese New Year gathering. The White Rabbit Bread, a sweet ode to the Zodiac of the year, sees a fluffy, dual-toned white and orange marbled bread that’s been lathered with White Rabbit candy glaze and crowned with gold sugar pearls. If you’re looking for a safer option for everyone in the family to snack on, why not try their house-baked cookies?
Diners can choose between the aromatic Coconut Cornflake Cookies, the bitter-sweet Matcha Amaretti and the Tuscan Cranberry Almond Biscotti, but if you’re like us, you’d save yourself the trouble and get the Chinese New Year Cookie Bundle instead, which consists of all three flavours.
Place your orders from now to 9 January 2023 to enjoy an early bird offer of 15% off selected Chinese New Year items.
Address
Multiple outlets
Website
Path’s Chef Marvas has combined the best of French and Chinese traditions to form a Prosperity 8 Treasure Galette des Rois for CNY 2023. This is a cheeky take on the traditional French King’s Cake that’s usually had as a signal to the start of a new year. Rather than stuffing it with frangipane, the buttery pastry here is filled with savoury glutinous rice and mixed with eight premium ingredients: scallops, morel mushrooms, Australian abalone, Iberico pork, bak kwa, peanuts, daikon and dried shrimp.
Path’s Prosperity 8 Treasure Galette des Rois is available for order (takeaway only) from 9 to 28 January 2023, with collection dates between 16 and 28 January 2023.
Address
12 Marina Boulevard, Tower 3, #01-05/06 Marina Bay Financial Centre, 018982
Website
Treats from Mdm Ling Bakery is a must-buy every CNY 2023; armed with more than 20 types of goodies, it’s your one-stop shop for your snack table, gifting, and beyond. Classics like the Kuih Bangkit and Almond Cookies are our personal favourites, but for those who simply can’t decide, the new Steps To Prosperity comes with 12 mini containers of their best-selling cookies. This year, Mdm Ling Bakery also has a gifting opting aptly named Tote of Wealth: the classy, reusable tote comes in two colours – Royal Orange and Primrose Pink – and can hold up to four fun-sized bottles of goodies of your choice.
Nothing says huat like pineapple tarts and balls, and this Chinese New Year, we’re relishing the ones from La Levain. Besides a buttery crust that melts in your mouth, these bite-sized morsels are packed with tangy handmade pineapple filling elevated by the heady aroma of osmanthus, a fragrant herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine that’s said to improve the skin and detoxify the body. Want something a little more modern for your guests to savour? The Fleur de Cao 70% with Fleur de Sel Cookies are sure to be a hit amongst guests of all ages.
Address
23 Hamilton Rd, Singapore 209193
Website
