Off The Bitten Snack

Posted On 15 Jan 2014

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Lunar New Year goodies could be more than just bak kwa, pineapple tarts and kueh bangkit. Lifestyle Editors Justin Kor and Serena Yeh check out inventive twists on traditional festive delights.

Bee Cheng Hiang

Duo Choco Mini Crunchies

Sometimes, sweet and savoury can go pretty well together. Chocolate-coated potato chips, anyone?

The Duo Choco Mini Crunchies ($16.50 per tub) is an attempt at such a curious combination. It is pork floss mashed in the form of a short cylinder, with one end dipped into either white or dark chocolate. However, the chocolate could not be distinguished in their respective sweet and bitter tastes.

Once eaten, the mild sweetness of the chocolate and the distinct flavour of pork floss can be tasted immediately. But the salty taste of pork floss gradually overwhelms the taste of chocolate. As its name suggests, it is indeed crunchy and fun to eat. One bite fragments it into smaller floss strands. While pork floss is a dried meat product, this rendition seems drier than usual pork floss.

Crystal Jade MyBread

Golden Ingot Pastry

Crystal Jade is launching the Golden Ingot Pastry ($4.80 per pastry) this year.

These pastries come in two flavours — traditional pineapple and the more unfamiliar red lotus and salted egg yolk, which the Chronicle reviewed.

Fine details make this palm-sized pastry resemble an actual gold ingot. The sides of the pastry curve up and a subtle golden sheen covers its surface. Picking up the pastry is a very delicate task as it is extremely crumbly.

When bitten, the buttery taste of the crust overpowers the filling inside. Although there is a lotus and salted egg yolk filling, its taste is hard to detect. It could have been slightly thinner to complement its soft filling.

Crystal Jade MyBread

Auspicious Mandarin Orange Cake

Also making its debut on the annual Crystal Jade Lunar New Year menu is the Auspicious Mandarin Orange Cake ($23.80 per cake), which resembles an oversized orange cut into half.

The dome-shaped cake looked too pretty to be cut, much less eaten. The cake’s interior revealed alternating layers of light and dark orange, made of cream and sponge cake respectively. At first bite, it was overwhelmingly sweet due to the dense orange icing. The cream, despite being quite smooth and silky, was nearly tasteless in comparison to the sugary icing.

The sponge cake was the best part. It was light, fluffy and had a tangy taste reminiscent of mandarin oranges. The chewy brown chocolate stalk, perched on top of the cake, lacked an authentic cocoa taste. However, it is but a blemish in this delightful treat.

Crystal Jade MyBread

Bo Luo Pineapple Tart

Crystal Jade’s festive bestseller, the Bo Luo Pineapple Tart ($15.80 per pack), looks like a miniature bo luo bun.

As its name suggests, it combines the traditional pineapple tart and bo luo bun — with the signature filling of pineapple jam of the former and the flaky crust of the latter.

The bite-sized treat, is easily devoured in one mouthful. With its shiny golden hue, the Bo Luo Pineapple Tart is definitely easy on the eye.

The tart was not too buttery and its pineapple filling stood out with its zesty taste and grainy texture. It also had the right amount of balance — crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Cedele Depot

Almond Ikan Bilis Sambal Cookies

Cedele’s popular Almond Ikan Bilis Sambal Cookie ($20.80 per tub) is back again after being introduced last year. The savoury cookies give off a strong aroma of spices that immediately whets the appetite.

This small cookie, slightly larger than a one-dollar coin, packs a fiery punch. One is greeted with crunchy almond slices on the first bite and crispy ikan bilis on the second. Both the ikan bilis and almond slices do not overpower, thankfully.

However, the cookie is not for the faint-hearted as it packs a strong sambal flavour and might be too spicy for some. Those who love building up a sweat would find it very shiok indeed.

Bengawan Solo

Cassava Cheese Cookies

Eating cheese will not be the first thing that comes to mind when celebrating the Lunar New Year. But give these Cassava Cheese Cookies ($19.80 per tin) a try.

The pale yellow cookies crumble easily, making for a good melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

The slightly crispy cheese flakes sprinkled on top of the cookie add a delightful texture to the otherwise soft cookie, and enhances its overall flavour.

While its initial cheesy fragrance might be off-putting to some, it becomes more subtle when eaten, thanks to the cookie’s light buttery flavour.