The best old-school childhood snacks from Singapore

Something we definitely want (want) as a snack are the senbei rice crackers. These light, airy biscuits are coated in an addictively sweet and salty powder. Gobble the crackers and then give your fingers a good lick – just to make sure you get every bit of the seasoning. Want Want’s Xue Bing and milk snacks are just as nostalgic and delicious.

Who needs lunch when you can just eat 20 packets of dried seasoned seaweed? That’s how difficult it is to stop eating these. It helps that the seaweed snack is ridiculously cheap, and comes in a convenient string of packets that you can fold up and carry everywhere.

These hollow snacks are best eaten by the handful for maximum crunch and saltiness. That’s just our opinion – some people also love to bite the cracker in half before munching just to see the hollow insides. However you like to eat these, Pola snacks are undeniable childhood favourites.

A potentially polarising snack – after all, what’s savoury and delicious to one person could just be plain fishy to another. Nevertheless, Dahfa dried fish fillet gives us major throwback vibes. Now that we’re all grown up, it pays to experiment with different ways to enjoy the snack. Some people microwave it for an extra crunch, or even make dipping sauces to go with the dried fish. Some even soak it to get a dashi situation going for cooking purposes. Genius.

Sizzling heat and ice-cold sweet snacks – a magical combination. Nutrition-wise, we haven’t got a clue but these ice lollies are a timeless favourite. The colourful and iconic dessert is the best way to triumph the muggy Singapore weather. Plus, it’s cheap too.

Hack away the cough with Hacks, a strong-smelling mint that will remind us of all the times we got sick in our childhood. We don’t know if it even works or not, but you can still find Hacks sweets being sold at convenience stores everywhere.

We should all know by now that Mamee is not an instant noodle. This snack noodle requires no cooking, and we can safely say we prefer it that way. There are many ways to eat this snack, but our favourite is crushing the noodles first before adding the flavoured salt. That salty sting you taste? That’s tasty, tasty MSG for you.

Over the years gem biscuits have somewhat become an icon in Singapore, appearing in jewellery, accessories and even home décor – as throw cushions. Still, we’ll always fondly remember these super sweet, fun-sized and pastel-hued biscuits of our childhood.

Can’t get the real deal? That’s okay, we 90s kids just settled for Hiro Chocolate Cake, a mini dry (a little bit too dry if you ask us) sponge cake that is coated in chocolate. What it lacks in taste, it makes up with the nostalgic feeling of ripping open the foil wrapper during recess for all the times your packed lunch was not enough.

Though not the best-looking snack there is, these tapioca chips remains to be one of the most popular local snacks around. Spicy, sweet and sticky all at once, it’s quite a messy affair when you get started on a pack.

Made from Chinese hawthorn, Haw flakes were actually eaten before ingesting bitter Chinese medicine so its snack status is pretty surprising. Plus, we’re super sure the iconic packaging has something to do with its popularity.

The most memorable thing about this entry-level muruku is probably the minimal design of the wrapper. Who can forget the crawling baby on the packaging? While it’s not big on flavour – you’re better off with real and authentic muruku that costs just as much – it doesn’t mean that it’s any less addictive.

More for its novelty than actual nutritional value (and taste), the Bangle/Eyeglass chocolate (don’t be fooled, there’s no real chocolate here) sweets were useful during playtime when you need to prescribe “medicine”.

The best thing about these wafers? The colours. There really isn’t much to say about its super bland taste but we love the pastel colours it comes in. If you’re lucky, you might find these fragile, papery wafers in old-school bakeries around the neighbourhood.

Advertised – like crazy – during Saturday morning cartoons, novelty Ring Pops promised a seemingly never-depleting source of sugar. Plus, they come in really pretty retro colours that make you want to collect the whole set – but also question hygiene-related things like “how do I store this for later consumption?” and more.

A snack for acquired tastes, sun-dried mandarin peels are spiced lightly so you get an aftertaste that is slightly bitter. It also makes for a useful snack if you are feeling nauseous – some even carry them in their bags when travelling to get over motion sickness.

Perhaps the most exciting snack on the list, Magic Dust will take you on a most peculiar sensory experience. Sweet and sour at the same time, the popping and crackling magic that happens in your mouth with a spoonful of magic dust still amazes us years on.

Popular as goodie bag fillers, these corn crackers may be hollow in the middle but they sure pack a punch. Salty, peppery and also slightly sweet – basically, it’s easy to get addicted on this snack.

Known for being brightly orange and staining your fingers, these cheesy Super Rings have definitely survived the era. You can still find them in supermarkets – still in its original packaging. flavour-wise nothing has changed much but yes, they still stain your fingers.