18 nostalgic snacks loved by Singaporeans

A beloved staple of Singapore’s school canteens and mama shops, Pola Snack is instantly recognisable for its animal-shaped crackers. Lightly salted and extra crispy, these bite-sized treats evoke childhood memories of recess breaks and days of simple joy.

Since the 1980s, Houten’s Chilli Tapioca Chips have been a fiery favourite among Singaporeans. Thinly sliced tapioca crisps are glazed with a signature sambal sauce that balances sweet, spicy and tangy notes while offering umami flavours of anchovies and nuts. The snack delivers a bold flavour profile that remains iconic to this day.

A ring of the bell and you know the ice cream uncle is in the vicinity. Often touring neighbourhoods, the quintessentially local ice cream cart has expanded its horizons to the more upbeat areas of Orchard Road for tourists and locals to enjoy in tandem. The signature block ice creams are cut with an alarming knife (not the typical ice cream scoop). Once you’ve decided on a flavour, choose among three layout options: on a cup, in between wafers, or wrapped in bread.

These tiny biscuits with a blob of hardened icing on top might not have been much in the past, but it has undoubtedly raised a whole generation of Singaporeans who glow with joy when spotting a packet at old-school mama shops. Are you one who eats the icing or biscuit portion first?

No, these aren’t just reserved for toddlers. A creamy, milky taste with every bite, this childhood favourite transcends age, prompting us adults to wrestle it out with the young ones for a bite.

Often a prized find at childhood birthday parties or Children’s Day goodie bags, White Rabbit sweets reigned supreme in every kid’s candy wish list. These happy pills of chewy milk candy and edible rice paper wrapping have since introduced other flavours like coconut and lychee. 

If you’ve worn this bright orange snack as a ring, welcome to the club. This addictive cheesy snack was—and still is, for serial snackers—the ultimate after-school indulgence.

This snack takes the cake for the most memorable packaging. Yes, it’s that snack with the crawling baby. While it’s not big on flavour, you’d be stuck in a loop of nibbling on these addictive snacks throughout the day. Grab a bunch in your hands and pop it in your mouth for maximum crunch and flavour.

The sugee cake has definitely survived the era, with bakeries and restaurants still serving slices of this Eurasian delicacy. Deceptively simple, a true sugee cake is notoriously difficult to master, which is why we treasure those still paying homage to this snack.

Crispy and addictively savoury, this visually appealing snack was one of the must-haves back in the day. Carrying fewer calories than a bag of potato chips, snack guilt-free when watching the National Day Parade.

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In the past, haw flakes were usually eaten before ingesting bitter Chinese medicine. Today, it’s enjoyed as the ultimate pocket-friendly snack and has become a bit of an international sensation, spotted in stores in Fiji, Canada, and Hawaii. Tiny enough to be carried on the go, whip these out when you need a sweet and tangy treat. 

There’s nothing more enticing to these wafers than their eye-catching pastel colours. These fragile, papery wafers were the ultimate childhood temptation, a common love if you will, great for sharing and parties. 

Affectionately known amongst Singaporeans as “tutu kueh”, this popular snack often draws snaking queues at pasar malams (night markets) in Singapore. To make this, rice flour is first compressed into a flower-shaped stainless steel mould and traditionally filled with ground peanuts or shredded coconut. After covering the base with a sliver of either banana or bamboo leaf, it goes into the steamer for a quick steam to result in a fluffy steamed rice flour kueh.

Prawn crackers never go out of style, even with the contention of chips and chocolate chip cookies. Burst open a packet and its distinctive whiff breaks free, summoning friends and family as they surround you quicker than you can say prawn cracker, eager for a bite.

For kids who can take a little heat, the chilli tapioca chips make the case for gluten-free snackers. The chewy snack is coated with a striking balance of sweet and spicy and remains one of the more popular local snacks around.

Move aside M&M’s, the iconic bangle chocolate candy is in a league of its own. But don’t be fooled by its name, however, the bangle chocolate doesn’t contain any real chocolate. If you’ve placed it over your eyes as eyeglasses as a kid, you’re not alone.

The snack you’ll see kids—or adults, we don’t judge—wrestling for, popping candy bewitches with sporadic bursting sensations in the mouth, unfurling prickly sour or sensationally sweet flavours. And the best part is, you’ll never know what you’re going to get.

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