With Chinese New Year just around the corner, you may be overwhelmed by the festivities, decorations, music, and celebrations going on around you. It’s also the time where confectioneries and supplies are busy churning out jars and jars of festive treats. And what’s Chinese New Year without glorious goodies? Here’s a crash course on some of the most popular yummy treats you won’t want to miss. 

Pineapple Tarts

Commonly known as huang li in Mandarin and ong lai in Hokkien, pineapples signify prosperity. This delightfully tempting treat is simply divine. Despite its notoriety for being one of the most fattening New Year snacks, it still makes it to the list of most popular goodies, and rightfully so. The delicious buttery pastry topped with sweet pineapple jam is best combination ever. Rich, sweet, and luscious, it’s amazing how much flavor can be packed into each morsel of pastry.

Bak Kwa

An all-time favorite in Singapore especially during Chinese New Year, bak kwa is a thin sheet of marinated barbequed meat. Originally made from minced or sliced pork, variations with wine, kimchi, chilli, and even chicken and bacon versions have popped up over the years. If you’re not too particular about calories, Bacon bak kwa is a must-try. We promise, your taste buds will be thoroughly satisfied.

Love Letters

Made from baking sugar, eggs, and coconut milk, this is yet another hot favourite with both the young and old. These thin wafers are usually in cylindrical form, but are sometimes folded in wedges. Either way, when it comes to this mouth-watering snack, one is never enough.

Kueh Bangkit

Made from flour, coconut milk, sugar, and eggs, the kueh bangkit is yet another irresistible sweet treat.

Simple to look at but difficult to make, you know these bite-sized coconut cookies are perfect when they crumble into gooey sweetness and melt in your mouth.

Peanut Cookies

True to its namesake, peanut cookies are chock full of rich, nutty goodness.

Mini Shrimp Rolls

Also known as hay bee hiam rolls, prawn rolls are mini spring rolls chock-full of spicy dried shrimp goodness. Highly labour-intensive (imagine rolling hundreds of these!), these oh-so-addictive savory snacks are usually don’t come cheap, and you can expect them to be snapped up within minutes of opening the jar.

Nian Gao

Bite into this the yummy goodness of this sticky cake and you’ll be hooked.

Symbolising a good year to come, Nian Gao (Chinese New Year’s Cake) is prepared from glutinous rice and brown sugar. Eaten all year round but most popular during Chinese New Year, it can be eaten on its own, or fried with egg batter.

Sugee cookies

Rich, buttery, sweet and salty, these pale yellow cookies are the perfect indulgence.

There are way too many festive treats available, so head on down to Chinatown or neighborhood confectioneries to check them out, and stuff yourself silly! Calories? What calories?