If you grew up buying biscuits from the big metal tins at the neighbourhood shop, you probably knew what you wanted before the lid came off. Maybe it was the colourful icing on the gem biscuits, or maybe you went straight for the wheel crackers. Here are eight old-school snacks worth revisiting.
1. Khong Guan Iced Gem Biscuits
These little round biscuits are also called ais jem or flower biscuits, thanks to the colourful icing that sits on top like a tiny flower. The biscuit underneath is crunchy and mildly sweet, while the icing adds a creamier, more sugary bite.
The biscuits contain wheat flour, vegetable oil and whey powder, which is made by drying the liquid left over when milk is turned into cheese. They ship from Malaysia and fit right in on a birthday snack table, especially if you used to eat the icing first.
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2. Pineapple Jam Nastar Cookies
Nastar are pineapple jam cookies, and these come in the shape of little hearts. Each heart is made from two biscuit halves with pineapple jam sandwiched between them, so you get some of the fruit filling with the biscuit in the same bite.
The pack contains around 200 g and ships from Indonesia. If you like something sweet with your afternoon kopi, these give you a pineapple jam centre to go with each sip. They work just as well alongside a cup of tea.
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3. Astor Chocolate Wafer Sticks
These mini Astor sticks are wafer rolls, which are thin, crisp biscuits rolled into tubes. Chocolate fills the middle of each stick, so you get the crunch of the wafer first, followed by the chocolate inside.
The 40 g chocolate box ships from Indonesia. Matcha, which is powdered green tea, and vanilla rolls are sold on the same page, so go for the “ASTOR 40G-Chocolate” box.
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4. Homemade Animal Biscuits
These homemade biscuits from Ipoh are also called biskut haiwan, Malay for animal biscuits. They come in a mix of animal shapes and are made with wheat flour and whole milk powder. Traditional baking gives them a crisp bite and a fragrant aroma.
Each pack contains about 200 g and ships from Malaysia. The biscuits are described as halal and suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians, meaning people who eat dairy and eggs as part of a vegetarian diet.
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5. Roma Coconut Biscuits
The name on the pack is Roma Biskuit Kelapa, with kelapa meaning coconut in Indonesian. Coconut is the main flavour here, with a savoury note alongside the sweetness.
The 300 g pack ships from Indonesia. If you’re putting together a plate of old-school biscuits, these sit somewhere between the sugary iced gems and the savoury cream crackers.
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6. Traditional Wheel Crackers
The wheel shape gives these old-school crackers their name. They’re also known as biskut roda, Malay for wheel biscuits, and the manufacturer certifies them as halal.
The 120 g pack ships from Singapore. The crackers have been packed again into a different bag, so the colour and size of the crackers, as well as the weight of the pack, may vary slightly.
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7. Khong Guan Cream Crackers
Khong Guan’s cream crackers are baked for a crisp bite. They have a savoury flavour that makes them a good pick when you want something less sweet than the jam cookies or iced gems.
The 300 g pack ships from Indonesia. Have the crackers on their own when you want something crunchy, or put a few beside your afternoon tea or coffee.
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8. Regal Marie Biscuits
Marie biscuits are a classic type of round biscuit. Regal’s take comes in a red foil pack, with a milk flavour and a softer bite than the crisp wafers and crackers on this list.
The wrapper says Regal Biskuit Marie and gives a netto, or net weight, of 120 g. That’s the weight of the biscuits themselves, excluding the wrapper. The pack ships from Indonesia.
Check out how much it costs here: https://s.shopee.sg/3RBcnfZj3g
