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Bizarre Bites: Top Unusual Snacks in Singapore
Singapore is a melting pot of food cultures with many dishes striking a balance between savoury, spicy, sweet, and even bitter! Thanks to the island’s cultural diversity and culinary creativity, you can taste all these flavours in one go!
How? By trying out some of the most unusual snacks in Singapore that you probably never imagined would taste good.
Singaporeans can get really crafty with their food, and if you think you’ve already had your fill of strange dishes on the island, leave some room for strange snacks too!
Bak Kut Teh Cookies
– From oldsengchoong
Bak kut teh, or pork bone soup, is a staple soup dish in Singapore and is best enjoyed during rainy weather. If you’re a big fan of this hearty soup, did you know that you can also enjoy it as a cookie?
It’s not impossible to turn your favourite savoury soup dish into a crunchy and slightly sweet cookie. The bak kut teh cookies are infused with herbs, spices, and peppers, and surprisingly, give off the same flavour as the real thing.
They’re usually packed in a golden tin can and gifted to relatives during Chinese New Year. If you’re looking for a snack to bring home as a souvenir, bak kut teh cookies are definitely easier to pack than the real thing!
Where to get it: Old Seng Choong, 290 Orchard Rd, #B1-14 Paragon, Singapore 238859 Tuan Yuan Pork Ribs Soup, 127 Kim Tian Rd, #01-01, Singapore 160127 Price: $22.80 per tin can |
Mala Seaweed
– From taokaenoiclubsg
Have you noticed that most Asian rice balls are covered in a thin, crispy seaweed wrapper? While you can buy those in Asian supermarkets worldwide, there’s a specialty store in Singapore that sells crispy seaweed snacks in several unusual flavours.
One of the bestselling flavours is the mala seaweed. Mala is a type of seasoning hailing from Sichuan that’s known for being spicy and numbing when consumed or mixed in cooked dishes.
As a seaweed snack flavour, the seasoning can be overwhelming for people with a delicate palate. However, it’s a good introduction to the many spicy foods in Singapore––and you can easily buy them online or in supermarkets in the city!
Where to get it: Tao Kae Noi, buy online Hofu Japanese Seaweed Crisps, buy from OleOle Singapore Ding Bakery, 140 Paya Lebar Rd, #03-13 AZ@PAYA LEBAR, Singapore 409015 Meidi-Ya Supermarket, 9 Raffles Blvd, #02 – 26, Singapore 039596 Price: $2.73 per 32 grammes |
Fossa Chocolate
– From fossachocolate
Fossa Chocolate makes gourmet chocolate in unique and sometimes unusual flavours like satay sauce, mala, salted egg cereal, and bee pollen. Its founders, Jay, Yilina, and Charis, are all chocolate lovers who have extensive experience in the culinary industry.
Using their expertise to work, they create unique chocolate flavours every one to two months, so there is always something new to look forward to at Fossa Chocolate. Their most popular flavour is the satay sauce chocolate bar.
They infuse their chocolate creations with tons of spices like nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, anise, peppercorn, and sea salt. All these flavours surprisingly balance out the sweetness, and these are also available in gluten-free and soy-free versions!
Where to get it: Fossa Chocolate, 30 Gambas Crescent Nordcom II, Enter via Access 1 Take Lift GL2 or GL3 to Level 3 Strictly by appointment only. No walk-in, Singapore 757013 Price: Starts at $13.08 per bar |
Durian Mochi
– From goldenmomentssg
Durian is notorious for its pungent smell; you can tell a store or market sells this exotic fruit from a mile away. In Singapore, however, durian is widely available and enjoyed by locals as a creamy, fruity snack.
In classic Singaporean style, durian has become a hit flavour, especially when paired with mochi. The creamy filling and chewy shell make a delicious dessert that can convert durian sceptics into fans.
You can find durian mochi in most markets selling traditional desserts, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, we highly recommend buying from stalls selling the Musang King or Mao Shan Wang variant!
Where to get it: Dessert Bowl, 80A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555976 Golden Moments, 110 Lor 23 Geylang, #07-10, Singapore 388410 KANE MOCHI, 201 Victoria Street #02-50 Bugis+, Link Bridge, Singapore 188067 The Durian Bakery, 2 Jln Lokam, #01-47 Kensington Square, Singapore 537846 Price: Starts at $19.80 per box of 6 Mao Shan Wang durian mochi, or $3.60 per piece of regular durian mochi |
Salted Egg Yolk Ice Cream
– From tomspalettesg
Singaporeans love salted egg yolk, even in ice cream form. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and has a hint of savoury egg flavour that’s addictive and well-balanced in the palate.
Right off the bat, salted egg in ice cream doesn’t really sound appetising, but if you know the Singaporean food scene any better, you can’t expect anything less than some bizarre blends in flavour.
Some ice cream shops infuse their ice cream with crumbs of salted egg, while others like to use crushed egg yolk as a topping. Nonetheless, any fan of salted egg chips should at least try a scoop or two of this unusual snack in Singapore!
Where to get it: Tom’s Palette, 51 Middle Rd, #01-01, Singapore 188959 Hundred Acre Creamery, 109 Clementi Street 11, #01-37, Singapore 120109 FATCAT Ice Cream and Coffee Boutique, 15 Simon Rd, Singapore 545907 HEYTEA, 181 Orchard Rd, #01-26 Orchard Central Singapore 238896 Price: $4 to $6 per serving |
Turtle Herbal Jelly
– From koongwohtongherbaljelly
Intrigued by unconventional treats? Head over to local hawker centres or Chinese restaurants to get yourself a serving of turtle herbal jelly, a Chinese herbal delicacy traditionally made from the shell of the endangered golden coin turtle.
The jelly has sparked controversy, and to navigate strict regulations, lingzhi or fungus powder often steps in as a substitute. Prepared by boiling, pulverising, and cooking shell powder with herbs, this concoction produces a dark jelly served chilled.
Its slight bitterness is countered by a hint of honey, adding a subtly sweet taste. If you’re not keen on trying jelly made from unconventional animal parts, there are canned alternatives you can buy from supermarkets that don’t contain the real thing!
Where to get it: Koong Woh Tong, 180 Bencoolen St, Singapore 189646 Original Herbal Soup, 414 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329806 Dessert Guru, 3015 Bedok North Street 5, #06-21, Singapore 486350 Eu Yan Sang, 4 Tampines Central 5, #B1-17, Singapore 529510 Price: $10 to $16 per serving |
Fish Skin Chips
– From the goldenduck.sg
Fish skin is packed with healthy nutrients and fats like collagen and omega-3 fatty acids that help your skin stay plump and heart muscles functioning. That said, eating fish skin chips shouldn’t feel very sinful after that fact, right?
Luckily, fish skin is widely popular as a snack in Singapore, so getting your dose of collagen and omega-3 fatty acids is pretty easy! Plus, they come in several different flavours like salted egg (of course), mala, barbecue, cheese, chilli crab, and more.
There are lots of local brands that sell fish skin chips, so we highly recommend scouting for them at supermarkets or bazaars. Not only do you get to enjoy these snacks for cheap, but you also get to support local businesses!
Where to get it IRVINS, 391A Orchard Rd, TAKASHIMAYA Department Store Area No. B207-2-3, Singapore 238873 The Golden Duck, buy onlineCrusty’s Singapore, 15 Senoko Dr, #07-10, Singapore 758202 Price: $44 for a box of five bags |
Ice Cream Sandwich
– From dopadopa.sg
Ice cream sandwiches are a beloved dessert worldwide, so they’re not exactly an unusual snack. In Singapore, however, ice cream sandwiches look and taste different (and admittedly, a little strange to foreigners).
Unlike the traditional parlour-style sandwiches, Singaporean ice cream sandwiches feature scoops of ice cream nestled between slices of bread. The ice cream filling is typically pandan or durian, using pandan bread, croissants, or waffles as the base.
The incorporation of primarily pandan, coconut, and durian flavours adds a distinctive touch, making these treats uniquely Singaporean. So, if we take “ice cream sandwich” quite literally here, don’t be surprised!
Where to get it: Yellow Ice Cream Uncle, No. 435, Orchard Road, #04-09, Wisma Atria, 238877, Singapore 238877 Old’s Uncle Ice Cream Stand by Walls, 291 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238860 Dopa Dopa, 29 South Bridge Rd, #01-01, Singapore 058665 Price: $3 to $9.50 |
Tissue Prata
– From mr.prata_singapore
In Singapore, tissue prata offers a local twist on the traditional Indian flatbread known as prata, resembling a crispy, thin cone-shaped crepe. While prata is a common staple in India and parts of Southeast Asia, Singapore has embraced a unique variation.
Unlike its savoury counterparts served with curries, Singaporean tissue prata is typically enjoyed as a dessert or snack. The flatbread is skillfully crafted into a tall cone and generously drizzled with flavoured syrups such as chocolate or caramel.
For an extra indulgence, some locals opt to pair their tissue prata with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Many eateries even offer customisation options, allowing you to tailor your tissue prata experience to your liking!
Where to get it: Springleaf Prata Place, 57B Jalan Tua Kong, Singapore 457253 Mr. Prata, 742 Bedok Reservoir Rd, #01-3105, Singapore 470742 Jalan Kayu The Prata Cafe, 18 Tai Seng St, #01-29, Singapore 539775 Price: $2 to $4.50 per piece |