23 Childhood Snacks Malaysians Love & What Happened To Them
Tell me you're from the '90s without telling me you're from the '90s.
1. Cadbury Bytes
Cadbury Bytes were these little wafer pillows filled with a chocolaty centre that were pretty tasty. Unfortunately, according to this article, it was discontinued in 2011 after Kraft Foods took over Cadbury due to "a de-prioritising of low margin business". Kraft focused its efforts on Frito Lays as the market for that was more demanding.
2. Chiclets
Chiclets used to come in these thin, flat boxes and were so easy to pop into your mouth.
It appeared to have disappeared from shelves in Malaysia for awhile and was believed to have been discontinued in 2016. However, in 2019, several articles mention that it showed up again and was being manufactured in Mexico. Prior to that, it was owned by Mondelez in the US. So it probably still exists somewhere in the world, if you look hard enough.
3. Snek Mi JJ
Getting to assemble Keropok JJ's mini toys into the shape of a plane, fighter jet, bike, and race car was probably one of the best highlights of any '90s kids' childhood. Such a small piece of plastic that gave endless joy. :')
It appears that the snack still exists in Malaysia, though it's a lot more difficult to find. One online seller was selling it as recently as 2021, but it's currently sold out.
4. KFC Krushers
KFC used to sell Krushers, which were like cold milkshakes, perfect for our heat. There were flavours like 'Kookies 'n Kream', with Oreo bits, 'Mocha Krunch', and Chipsmore.
It's unclear what happened to the popular item in Malaysia, but according to this article, KFC removed it from the menu, which brought frustration among many customers. There was even a petition in Australia to bring it back with over 6,800 signatures.
It appears that the last mention of it in Malaysia was in 2011 when KFC Malaysia posted a Facebook status asking which flavour customers love.
5. Twisties Chickadees
Among the top guns like Super Ring and Jack 'n Jill Roller Coaster was our dear ol' friend, Chickadees. It felt puffier, greener, and more 'chickeny' tasting than Twisties (although it was probably more of a chicken flavoured corn snack). But it was so tasty.
Chickadees existed as early as the '80s with a branding that was strong enough that some say their parents and grandparents often called every snack Chickadees after its release.
It's unclear what happened to the snack as it hasn't been spotted in years. But if you happen to see it, lemme know.
6. Red plum / Asam boi candy
You could always count on these yummy sour plums coated in honey to keep you awake when the afternoon food coma hits. Thankfully for us, they still exist in Malaysia. You can find them online, as well as in selected grocery stores and sundry shops. But the most special place has to be on the cashier counter of your favourite mamak or Indian restaurant.
7. Marukawa Fruit Bubble Gum
There was something strangely satisfying having one of these as a kid, from the small, cute square packaging to the perfectly round balls. Although the bubble gum had such a faint burst of flavour to them that only lasted less than 10 seconds, it was something special.
You can still find them around, especially in kedai runcits in smaller towns. Or you can get them online.
9. Big Foot popping candy
As a kid, these popping candy 'feet' were so much fun! As an adult, they still are. :P
Getting to hear the crackling sounds in your mouth... ah, such simply joys. :') You can get them online.
10. Dentyne
Dentyne told us our teeth would become white and shiny as kids. Did we believe them? Probably. The apple and watermelon flavours were always the best ones, in my opinion. They still exist in places like Thailand but have yet to be spotted in Malaysia for a while now.
11. Marukawa Fusen tattoo bubble gum
You were only as cool as the number of temporary tattoos you had on your body that came from these water-based bubble gum wrappers. :D The Marukawa brand, which was established in 1948 in Japan, have been making these Tattoo Fusen bubble gums and supplying them to countries all over the world.
Though they haven't been discontinued, they're pretty difficult to find in Malaysia today, but we spotted some shops selling them online.
12. Bubble Yum
Bubble Yum was all the rage back then and could be found almost everywhere, from petrol stations to the kedai runcits. But it has since dwindled in Malaysia in recent years for reasons unknown.
Stores like Childhood and some grocers still sell them, although it's been a long time since flavours other than the original have been spotted. Apparently, this isn't just a problem in Malaysia.
13. Eyeglass chocolates
The ultimate Smarties or M&M's dupe, these eyeglass chocolates were probably a part of every '90s kids' childhood. Remember attaching rubber bands to the sides so we could wear them and pretend that we're superheroes?
Today, you can still find them in pasar malams, smaller sundry shops, and online.
14. Susu Segar
If you attended public school, you'll probably recognise these old school bottles that used to be sold in the canteens. They came in a bunch of different flavours like chocolate, strawberry, and banana.
It's no competition for the bigger brands today but still legendary, especially for those who grew up during the '90s. They are difficult to find today but some shops have been selling them online.
15. Cadbury Time Out
Introduced in 1992, Cadbury's Time Out was eventually removed from the market in 2016 due to its unpopularity. The company replaced the double sticks with single finger Time Out wafers, but fans weren't too happy by the decision.
16. Magic Chew candy
Apart from Sugus, you could never just stop at one with these! Sour, sticky, and highly addictive. You can still find them online.
17. Yupi pizza and burger gummies
Yupi's little pizza and burger gummies were so much fun to munch on as kids and they still sell them today! Were you the type who would peel the burger and eat it layer by layer or shove the whole thing into your mouth at one go?
You can get them at grocery stores and relive those simple memories.
19. Wall's Moo ice cream
Paddle Pop has always been the go-to ice cream as a kid, but when Wall's introduced its 'Moo' in the early 2000s, it was a different level of hype... well, sorta. (After all, can anything truly compete with Paddle Pop?)
'Moo' came in a curvy shape with a vanilla milk flavour and splashes of chocolate to mimic the look of a dairy cow. It used to be sold in kedai runcits everywhere, but it appears to have since disappeared. There's not much information on where it went but several fans mentioned that it has possibly been discontinued.
20. Fruit-tella
Sometimes you end up accidentally eating a Sugus wrapping paper along with the sweet 'cause it sticks to it but that rarely happens with Fruit-tella. Buy one of these and it'll be eaten in seconds (not just by you but by friends who'd come around and ask for "just one piece"). :P
You can still find it today, just not as common as before.
21. Super 88 Bubble Gum
Not all bubble gums during the time could make big bubbles, but this one was one of the rare ones that could. Super 88's were one of the more affordable gums that were pretty popular in the '80s. At one point, you could even buy it for around 10 sen each and they were often sold in large jars at cashier counters. Each packet comes with three flavours: strawberry (red), orange (orange), and lemon (yellow).
You can still get them online today.
22. Pepsi Twist and Pepsi Blue
Pepsi Twist and Pepsi Blue came out in 2000 and 2002, and were around for several years. Apparently, they weren't popular enough and sales were discontinued, but fans have been asking for the company to bring them back.
In 2019, Pepsi responded in a tweet to one fan who asked for Pepsi Twist's return, saying that they would pass on the interest to the relevant teams.
23. Wall's Viennetta
Known as the 'atas' ice cream back then, Wall's Viennetta disappeared from shelves slightly more than a decade ago.
It surprised everyone when it made a comeback sometime in 2019. No one knows why it left or why it returned. But it definitely re-ignited some memories for many who grew up with it and those who didn't (but could now afford to eat it).