Food of Your Roots

We all love the feeling of nostalgia tickling our senses, from the perfume our grandmothers used to wear, to the feeling of our childhood teddy bears, to the foods we used to eat. Here are five foods that will send you on a journey of taste all the way back to your childhood

Words & Illustrations by Serena

A&W

Back in the 90s, A&W was a popular chain in Singapore and even had an iconic outlet on Stewards Riverboat. Thereafter, it lost popularity here with only a small number of outlets island wide. Thankfully, A&W recently opened an outlet at Changi Jewel, we can now reminisce the good ol’ days along with their root beer floats and messy Coney Dogs.

ICE POP

When a simple ice cream stick was considered too expensive at the Mama store, many of us remember opting for this cheap, brain-freezing Ice Pop for some sweet relief from the overbearing heat. Today, the taste might be a tad bit too artificial for our grown-up taste buds, but this sweet cold treat from our childhood days will never be forgotten.

HORLICKS

The Original Malted Drink. Forget Milo, forget Ovaltine. Horlicks was the OG, claiming to make you “Taller, Stronger, Sharper”. Tired of Milo Peng? Order a Horlicks dinosaur at your nearest Kopitiam and taste that sweet, sweet nostalgia today.

ICED GEMS

An indulgent meringue topped with a tasty buttery biscuit base, the Ice Gem separated Singaporeans into two factions: those that ate the icing and biscuit separately, and those who (ugh) ate it in one bite.

BISCUIT PIRING WAFER

The Biscuit Piring Wafer broke with the slightest touch, and the bright assortment pink, green and yellow stood out in the snack section of the mama shop. Crunch your way through the pack of these gluttonous sweet old school treats.