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Buying Asian snacks in the Netherlands can be surprisingly tricky. In photos, many products look alike, yet the differences in flavour, portion size, ingredients and shelf life can be significant. A beautiful box isn’t automatically suitable as a gift either: always check the contents, allergens and storage advice.
Whether you’re looking for Asian sweets, Chinese snacks, Japanese snacks, Taiwanese snacks or Asian confectionery to share, pay particular attention to these three common pitfalls.
A luxury box can contain small individual snacks. That’s handy for sharing, but less suitable when you’re expecting one large dessert. So always check the net weight, the number of pieces and the weight per piece. A box of eight mooncakes weighing 500g in total has a different use case than a gift box of 1160g with twelve pieces.
Words like lotus, red bean, jujube, black sesame or white peach don’t always tell you anything about the sweetness or texture. A mooncake can have a firm filling, while fruit jelly is served soft and refreshing. With sweets, salty liquorice, milky caramel or fruity flavours can vary widely.
So look at the ingredients list and nutritional values. These will show, among other things, whether a product contains milk, egg, soya, peanuts, sesame, gluten or nuts.
With imported food products, it’s important to check the country of origin, the responsible market operator and the Dutch product information. Also pay attention to the shelf life. Some products must be eaten immediately after opening, while others need to be kept refrigerated.
The mention “traditional” or “authentic” is no guarantee of a particular flavour. When a brand makes such a claim, you should see it as a brand description. Base your choice primarily on verifiable data such as ingredients, weight, allergens and preparation method.
According to European regulations, pre-packaged foods must list ingredients, allergens, net weight and shelf life, among other things. Allergens are usually highlighted clearly in the ingredients list. Always check this, even if you’ve bought the product before.
For example, the Wu Fang Zhai mooncakes list wheat, soya, egg, peanuts and sesame as allergens. The larger variant also contains almonds and walnuts in the mixed nut filling. According to the product information, the WANT WANT Red Bean Milk Candy contains milk and soya. If you have allergies, you should re-check the packaging upon receipt, as labels can change.
For a film night or family visit, individually wrapped sweets and several small portions are practical. Fruittella Mini consists of sixteen mini sticks, each with three sweets. This makes the product suitable as sweets to share.
For a gift around the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes fit the occasion better. The 500g gift box contains eight flavours, while the wooden gift box holds 1160g and twelve pieces. Don’t just look at the box, but also at the number of people and the desired serving size.
Not every Asian snack is ready to eat. The Nong Sao white glutinous corn comes in bags of 220g and, according to the product information, needs to be boiled, grilled or heated in the microwave. Once opened, the corn must be kept refrigerated and consumed within two days.
Fruit jelly, such as the Taiwanese white peach jelly from SHENG XIANG ZHEN, can be eaten straight from the individual cup and, according to the product description, is best served chilled. For biscuits and hard sweets, a dry, well-sealed storage place is important.
Why it fits this profile: Six separate cups offer a straightforward way to try or share Taiwanese fruit jelly at home.
The net weight, six cups and 180g per cup are clearly stated. This makes the portion size easy to estimate in advance.
Contains, according to the product information, 8% white peach, fruit pieces and 75 kcal per 100g. Best served chilled.
Why it fits this profile: The wooden gift packaging and twelve mooncakes are ideal for a thoughtful Mid-Autumn Festival present for family or business contacts.
The product information states the net weight of 1160g, twelve pieces and six flavour profiles. So it’s not an unclear decorative box.
Contains, among others, lotus seed paste, red bean with rose, date, pineapple, black sesame and mixed nuts. Allergens are indicated in the product information.
Why it fits this profile: The packaging with ten bags is practical for households that regularly serve or prepare Asian food products.
The preparation methods and storage conditions are clearly described. Once opened, the product must be kept refrigerated and used within two days.
Ten portions of 220g, with, according to the product information, 98% white glutinous corn. The ingredients list contains corn, water and salt.
We’ve put together a full, up-to-date list of products that fully meet these strict selection criteria and comply with current European safety regulations.
Choose an online shop that displays product information with ingredients, allergens, net weight, origin and shelf life. Also check the label on the packaging when you receive it. Especially with Chinese snacks, mooncakes and Taiwanese sweets, allergens such as soya, milk, wheat, egg, sesame and nuts can be present.
Individually wrapped products are practical. Think of Fruittella Mini, White Rabbit Creamy Candy or the WANT WANT Red Bean Milk Candy. For a festive occasion, mooncakes are suitable, because one gift box can contain several flavours and portions. Just pay attention to the total weight and the number of pieces.
Store hard sweets and biscuits in a cool, dry, sealed place. According to the product information, fruit jelly is best served chilled, while opened glutinous corn must be kept refrigerated and eaten quickly. Always follow the instructions on the packaging and check the best-before date before serving.
