So which is worth the calories?
Photos: Weekender
With Chinese New Year bounding in like an enthusiastic puppy, it's time to splash your abode in shades of auspicious red with bulbous silk lanterns, blinking firecrackers, spring couplets, and of course, an array of red lid-touting containers filled with your favourite festive goodies. From perennial favourites of crunchy arrowhead chips and smoky bak kwa squares to trendy ones such as salted egg yolk chips and fried fish skin, these addictive snacks will leave the fingers all dusty and crusty with sugar and spice during this joyous occasion.
Out of the lot, we zeroed in on our personal favourite CNY goodie: The pineapple tart.
A delicious staple during the festive shenanigans, the pineapple tart is flaunted like a prized pig by bakeries from around the nation, each vying for your attention with promises that their buttery creation is the best.
We'll be the judge of that, after eating our way through 10 brands of pineapple tarts.
5. Old Seng Choong’s assortment of pineapple tarts, $28.80 per box of 10
Choosing a buttery gem from Old Seng Choong’s box of mixed pineapple tarts is almost like picking a bean from Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Jelly Beans – each decision is backed with anticipation and suspense. Our first pick had us reaching for a glass of water with the homegrown brand’s Spicy Nonya Pineapple Tart. Used in Peranakan cooking, the fiery hae bee hiam (dried shrimp chilli paste) gives an overwhelming heat to tart, to the point it negates the pineapple taste. We had better luck with the Orange Peel Pineapple Tart, featuring bits of soft orange peel for a nice citrusy accent to the filling. Honey is a welcoming touch to sweeten the treat. Other flavours to look out for are perennial favourites, namely the Bakwa Pineapple Tart and the crowd-pleasing Original Pineapple Tart.
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