Here comes the year of the Snake!
First are bouts of spring-cleaning and shopping (time to make way in your already-crammed wardrobe!). Then come the reunion dinner on the Lunar New Year’s Eve. And then 15-day marathon of visiting with relatives and friends (this is also when the unmarried would cheer at the sight of red envelopes).
Interspersed among the hours of company is food; from the sumptuous, lavish buffet spread at the reunion dinner to the countless snacks laid out on the living-room tables — sweet, savory, and often somewhere in between. Here are some of the classics and the new, including our favorites!
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TANGERINE
Don’t be surprised to see them taking over retail outlets, big and small, at least a month before the New Year. Mostly from China, the tangerines here come in a few varieties, such as the Teochew “honey” tangerine (潮州密柑), the sweetest of all tangerines (hence the name), and large, with big, fat segments of juicy pulps, as well as loose skin, which makes peeling the easiest of all. Another major variety is the Yongchun tangerine of Fujian (永春蘆柑), which comes with a thin peel and big, fat segments of juicy pulps, just like the Teochew “honey” tangerine, and is loaded with vitamins and other essential nutrients. After snacking on them, don’t discard the peel! It can be sun-dried and used year-round to enliven dishes, like sweet azuki-bean soup (紅豆沙) and red-braised meat (紅燒肉), with a warm citrusy note.
BAKKWA, A.K.A. LONG YOKE (肉乾)
This sweet-salty jerky is the result of an age-old Chinese meat preservation method. Ground meat is marinated before getting sun- or oven-dried and charred over a grill for smokiness and an irresistibly chewy, glossy, sweet exterior. Traditionally made of pork, halal alternatives made of meats like chicken are now available. This year-round delicacy enjoys a hike in popularity during the festive seasons, with people cramming bakkwa stores to buy their shares and for gifting. Be sure to plan ahead to avoid the crowd, and these goodies actually keep for a fairly long time!
SHRIMP CRACKERS (蝦餅)
A.k.a. har beng in Cantonese; xia bing in Mandarin; and keropok in Malay. Freshly ground shrimp paste (fish or squid is sometimes used instead) is mixed with tapioca starch, water, and seasonings before getting steamed, sliced, sun-dried, and deep-fried. Munching on these featherlight, thin discs is like sinking your teeth into savory, utterly crispy airy styrofoam. Addictive!
TRAY OF PROSPERITY (攢盒 / 全盒)
We’re referring to the tidbits in the eight-compartment chest of edible treasures — from preserved plums (酸梅) and Chinese hawthorn (山楂) to colorful, sugar-coasted gummy candies and crunchy peanut brittles (花生糖). There’s something for everyone!
COOKIES
It ain’t Lunar New Year without these morsels!
Pineapple Tart
Filling millions of cookie jars across Malaysia at this time of year. The combination of a thick, somewhat chunky, sticky pineapple filling, caramelized and slightly tart, sometimes spiced, with a delicate, golden pastry that crumbles and melts in your mouth makes them irresistible.
Kuih Kapit
Making this from scratch — laborious, time-consuming, albeit not hard — for family and friends is a great way to show your love. The process requires at least two people: one tending the runny, eggy batter and the cookie irons by the scorching fire, constantly flipping and turning them so the cookies won’t burn; the other standing beside, folding and shaping the still-hot, floppy crêpe-like cookies in lightning speed and setting them aside to cool and crisp up.
Kuih Bangkit
These are a culinary legacy of the Peranakans. Snow white and crunchy on the outside; surprisingly melt-in-your-mouth on the inside, with a delicate coconutty flavor. These are addictive, too, so watch out!
SPEKKOEK, A.K.A. LAPIS LEGIT
A festive staple in Indonesia (thanks to the Dutch, a legacy they’d left behind after 400 years of colonization there). In Malaysia, though, this rich, aromatic spiced butter cake never caught on until the recent years. It’s made with copious amounts of butter and egg yolks, apart from the usual like sugar and flour. It’s baked a thin layer at a time, under a very hot oven broiler, working its way up to at least 18 layers for a stunning presentation. Sometimes raisins or finely diced prunes are included between the layers. This elaborate process requires constant attention by the heat for more than an hour, making it a delicacy that’s heavy on both your waist and wallet.
Are these your favorites, too? Tell us what you love snacking during the Lunar New Year!
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