Festive Traditions

Singapore’s Hainanese Culture: How much do you know?

Hainanese snacks as festive goodies

Jin Dui

Jian dui, also known as fortune bags (Zhen dai), can be categorized into stuffed or unfilled. The stuffed ones can be further divided into sweet and savoury ones. One of the more common type in Singapore is the sweet Jian dui with peanut fillings.

For Hainanese, this traditional snack symbolises a house full of good wealth as the saying goes “when Jian dui comes, gold and silver comes”. Jian Dui is commonly found at festivals, ancestral offerings, and even in everyday dining in Dad Tea house (coffee shops).

2. Hainanese Glutinous Rice Cake

Hainanese Yi Bua Kueh is one of Hainan’s top street foods commonly found in Singapore. It symbolises prosperity and happiness. In the rural areas of Hainan, the Hainanese would make the Yi Bua and present it in baskets as good blessings on the occasions such as housewarming, baby Full Month, Chinese New year, and other festivals, and worshipping festivals.

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非翔这音（2016年）。海南特色小吃薏粑。Kknews。上网日期：2022年1月27日。检自： https://kknews.cc/travel/enexgxn.html
哪里玩（2019年9月16日）。海南的煎堆有多野？光是看图你都馋。上网日期：2022年1月27日。检自：https://www.sohu.com/a/341127024_121132
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