Although this might be an old and re-used photo below, it does state the most important thing. It talks about how many calories you will gain for every bite of delicious goodies you consume this upcoming Chinese New Year. With CNY being just another 3 weeks away, family and friends would be busy stocking up on food and drinks to host their guests for the new year.
Just when you thought you would have enough time to burn off the previous calories you gained during Christmas, the second round of feasting will soon begin again. For those who still hope to keep to their new year’s resolution of keeping fit, I have compiled some of the Chinese New Year goodies that, in my opinion, are worth your calories.
1) Pineapple Tarts
With so many different variations of pineapple tarts, the most common type that is accepted by many would be the one with a crumbly base and a mound of pineapple jam on top. It is believed that it originated from the Peranakans, but one can now find this staple in all households during CNY. I’m sure you would be able to find these goodies at every house you visit.
2) Bak Kwa
“Bak Kwa” is the perfect blend of sweet and salty, giving your tastebuds a different type of flavour profile that suits the Asian palate. It is also known as Chinese Pork Jerky as it resembles the dried western jerky but is more tender and juicier due to different preparation methods. It was said to be introduced by the Chinese immigrants when they came to Singapore where locals made their own version of meat jerky by making it spicier and grilling it thinly till perfection.
3) Prawn Roll
This is a highly addictive snack. Once you munch on one of these, you will never stop munching on it. The only time you probably must stop eating is when the whole container has been emptied. Prawn rolls are basically filled with tasty, dried shrimp filling, also known as hae bee hiam, wrapped up in a popiah (or spring roll) skin before being fried to golden goodness. With varying levels of spiciness to cater to different tastebuds, this is another staple you would find in any household.
4) Love Letters
Falling back on that same joke I hear every year; they say that the only ‘love’ that you need is a love letter. But did you know, in the past, lovers used to send sweet messages to each other by crafting some symbols onto the wafer. Hence, after reading its content, the recipients would eat it to make sure that there are no traces of their letter and to symbolize that the recipients took their lover’s word to heart. With such a meaningful meaning behind the food, it is definitely worth your calories.
There are other CNY goodies that are delicious, but in my opinion, these four goodies are definitely the ones that are worth the calories if you had to choose. You can say bye to your 2022 resolution of wanting to exercise more or maybe we will share some exercises that will help you lose those calories fast, so stay tuned!
This article was brought to you by Williek.
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