As we bid farewell to the Chinese New Year (CNY), it is without a doubt that the bakery shelves and shopping mall atriums did not disappoint this 2023 with rows upon rows of CNY goodies! This year, every online bakery in Singapore has come up with seasonal goodies, some even with unique, modern twists. Most of us would have tried many of these CNY snacks at some point in our lives, and some of them are even commonly eaten across other festive holidays like Hari Raya.
But as you had the opportunity to munch on these delicious snacks and baked goods, how much do you actually know about them? What are the key ingredients that make them so tasty, or how did they even come about? Well, stay ignorant no longer because we are here to share with you some tasty facts about your favourite snacks eaten during CNY and how they are made!
Pineapple tarts
Did you know: Pineapple tarts are common across Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore and are said to have been a result of Portuguese influence on Peranakan cuisine. Although pineapple tarts are not exclusive to the Chinese festivities (they are also eaten during Hari Raya and Deepavali!), they became popular as a Chinese New Year snack because the Hokkien word for pineapples ‘ong lai’ sounds like a call for fortune to arrive.
If you’re a fan of a crumbly, flaky pastry, take extra care with rubbing the butter into the batter. This is the crucial step that incorporates air to give a light texture. If you prefer a denser pastry with every bite, opt for recipes that call for margarine. For a delectably smooth and rich pastry, try adding condensed milk or even cheese!
Love letters
This one is said to be inspired by Dutch waffles and localised in the Southeast Asian region to give us this addictive snack! Known as Kuih Kapit in Malay or ‘egg rolls’ in the direct Chinese translation, love letters are so named because village girls in the past would pass secret messages to their lovers through this waffle snack.
Love letters are made with deceptively simple ingredients: egg, flour, and sugar form the main part of the batter. The notoriously challenging part lies in not overbaking the thin sheets and having to roll them up while still hot. With so much effort and skill going into making them, we’d say save the trouble and get a tin (or a few) to stock up this new year!
Kuih bangkit
The epitome of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, kuih bangkit literally means ‘to rise’, a reference to the way the cookie rises during baking. But it could also be an apt symbolism for the new year, representing growth and progress. The early origins of this coconut-based cookie were as altar offerings, where different moulded shapes held different meanings.
Flour, egg, and icing sugar are what give the crumbly, meltable texture of kuih bangkit, and ingredients like coconut cream and pandan are what make them so irresistibly fragrant. Controlling the moisture content is the key to that perfect crumb, which is why recipes call for dry frying the flour beforehand and choosing coconut cream rather than coconut milk.
Conclusion
Tremendous care and next-level baking skills go into making the best CNY snacks, which explains why they sometimes seem so expensive. But after trying to make them yourself, we’re sure you would agree they are worth every cent!
Learned something new about your favourite CNY snack today? Share these facts with your relatives this year as a brilliant conversation starter! Craving for seasonal bakes? With Polar Puffs and Cakes’ online pastry delivery in Singapore, you won’t even have to jostle with the crowds to snag your favourite ones.
