Activity Guide

10 childhood snacks Malaysians grew up loving

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Dec 23, 2016

The snacks we loved as kids will always have a special place in our hearts. Who can forget the iconic haw flakes? And the "lemon tablet"? We decided to compile a list of 20 of the most remembered snacks we Malaysians grew up with to reminisce the good ol' times!   

1. Ice Gems

Ice gems, also known as naval biscuits are one of those traditional snacks you'll never forget. Bite-sized biscuits topped with a kind of sweet, hard “icing”, ice gems are one of the few Malaysian snacks that all kids born from the 60s to 90s can relate to.Which would you bite first, the biscuit or the icing? Or were you one of those naughty kids who would bite off the icing and then pass the biscuit to your mom to eat? 

2. Haw flakes

Haw flakes, or more commonly known as the thin discs candies that we probably didn’t bother to find out what they were actually made of because all we cared about was their pleasantly sweet and sour taste.We probably used to think ‘Haw’ was the brand of this snack but nope, these haw flakes are actually made out of the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn tree! 

3. Lemon tablet

Never underestimate the quaint packaging of these tubes because what’s inside them taste like gold. These lemon tablets taste pleasant and would emit a citrusy scent as they slowly melt and dissolve in your mouth. 

4. Apollo Chocolate Wafers

Apollo Chocolate Wafers were a common sight in the birthday goodie bags I received as a kid. Also remembered as the chocolate that melted and smeared easily but we didn’t mind licking them off the wrapper because it was just that delicious.These red-foiled wrapped bars were indeed the best kind of chocolate cream wafers. 

5. Gummy candies

These were probably the basics of all gummy candies I've seen in my life. Often seen filled in one of the containers beside all the other goodies during Chinese New Year, these gummy candies were tangy and had a distinct taste for each colour. 

6. Mamee monster

The type of instant noodles that could be eaten once unwrapped, because that’s the Mamee Monster way!Remember when our mothers would hide these packets away from us as they claim it causes hair loss when eaten too much. As unhealthy as it seems, Mamee Monster remains as one of Malaysians’ favourite snack till this very day. 

7. White rabbit cream candy

Apart from the creamy and milky taste, what’s also unforgettable about this candy is the fascinating opaque wrapper that comes with it. The wrappers are actually made of edible rice cellophane that dissolves in your mouth. Why bother unwrapping when we can eat them altogether? 

8. Choki choki

These slim tubes of decadent chocolate were so convenient you could slip them in anywhere. I even used to hide them in my pencil case and sneak a sip whenever the teacher isn't watching. Choki Choki provides a short but pleasurable sugar rush to your body with every sip. You should try the ones with milk too, as they taste equally good! 

9. Durian Pop corn

This snack may be called Durian Pop Corn but in reality they are actually just corn puffs. The soft crunch  and mild sweet taste  that comes with every bite makes us yearn for the roti-man’s jingling bells in our neighbourhood. 

10. Ice pops

Ice pops are  flavoured-drinks froze in long plastic tubes and were the perfect kind of refreshment for a hot day.These colourful sticks can usually be spotted outside school gates where the roti man sells them and it isn't the slightest bit surprising to see primary school kids crowding around the roti man to get their favourite flavored ice pop.