ANN/THE STAR – With the Year of the Snake fast approaching, Chinese households are bustling with preparations, stocking up on festive snacks and cookies to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
From vibrant shopping malls and bustling pasar malam (night markets) to online platforms like Facebook groups and TikTok Live, a wide variety of Chinese New Year goodies are on offer, promising to delight tastebuds across the nation.
Search engine Google reported a significant surge in interest, with ‘CNY cookie’ becoming a breakout search term in Malaysia last week, amassing over two million searches. A breakout keyword indicates a search term experiencing a growth of more than 5,000 per cent.
Among the cherished traditions of Lunar New Year is the Box of Harmony, also known as the Tray of Togetherness. This round or octagonal candy box features compartments filled with symbolic treats, each representing hopes for a prosperous year ahead.
For instance, sweet snacks symbolise good fortune, ngaku chips (arrowhead chips) reflect kindness and benevolence, and lotus seeds are believed to bring financial abundance. Gold coin-shaped chocolates are included to attract wealth, while dried melon represents growth and good health.
Beyond the Box of Harmony, several iconic sweet treats have become synonymous with the festivities.
These must-have items embody wishes for wealth, health, happiness and prosperity, ensuring that the Lunar New Year is celebrated with joy and abundance.
PINEAPPLE TARTS
Pineapple tarts are one of the most popular snacks during Chinese New Year because they symbolise prosperity. These morsels of delight are often associated with the phrase ‘ong lai’ in Chinese, which translates to ‘prosperity is coming’. The pineapple’s golden colour and shape represent wealth, good fortune and abundance for the year ahead.
KUIH KAPIT
Kuih kapit is a traditional sweet snack made by clamping batter in an iron mould heated over a charcoal stove. The mould consists of two plates attached to long handles, allowing the user to control the heat. Some moulds are flat, while others feature intricate designs depicting animals or flowers.
Known by other names like kuih semprong, egg roll and kuih Belanda, kuih kapit is commonly enjoyed in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. It is believed to have been introduced by the Dutch in the 17th Century.
KUIH BAHULU
This sponge cake is made with a simple mixture of eggs, sugar and flour, and its light, airy texture symbolises prosperity and new beginnings. Its history dates back to Portuguese colonisation in the 16th Century, when they introduced egg-based batters for baking cakes.
Originally, kuih bahulu was baked using special moulds, often shaped like fish or other symbolic forms, which were meant to bring good fortune.
PEANUT COOKIES
In Mandarin, peanuts are called hua sheng, where ‘sheng’ means ‘birth’. This association has made peanut cookies a symbol of prosperity and wealth.
Their nutty, melt-in-your-mouth texture makes them an essential treat for Chinese New Year.
NIAN GAO
The word ‘nian’ means year, while ‘gao’ sounds like ‘tall’ or ‘growth’, symbolising growth, prosperity and advancement in the coming year.
Made from glutinous rice and sugar, this traditional sticky rice cake’s dense, chewy texture symbolises strength and the promise of a better year ahead. – Sheela Chandran
