Top 20 Childhood Snacks That Every 8x and 9x Generation Loved

Here’s the childhood M&M! Back in the day, we didn’t have M&M's, only this Thai chocolate to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Before we knew about M&M’s, Merci, or Russian mushroom chocolates, the smooth, sweet taste of Thai chocolate captured the hearts of many young souls. The best part is that the 2020 version of this candy still tastes just like it did years ago.

An essential snack from childhood, back then, you could get a pack of kids' instant noodles for just 2,000 VND, and the way we ate it was super fun. Tear the packet open, pour the noodles into your mouth just enough to fill it up, and chew them with a satisfying crunch... No school gate was without the iconic packet of these noodles. A little broken noodle mixed with seasoning created a crispy, salty snack that every child loved, and we’d save our pocket money just to have them during recess.

Eating these noodles made us thirsty, but how could you stop when they tasted so good? For a while, kids’ instant noodles disappeared, but they’ve made a comeback recently, perhaps to bring back memories for the grown-up children of the past.

Who hasn’t spent their childhood climbing trees to pluck this fruit and happily sharing it with others?

The fish egg fruit tree is often planted in front of the house for shade. During the midday, when parents were asleep, my siblings and I would sneak out to the balcony and pull the fruits from the tree. If there was no tree at home, we would find ways to sneak into the neighbor's yard and have fun eating them together. I still remember one time when our neighbor climbed the fish egg tree and accidentally fell into the pig feed pot placed under the tree. The next day, my mother chopped down the tree, and we all sighed with regret.

The rupture fruit is a little sour and tart, but dip it in chili salt and it will leave you craving for more. Anyone else drooling right now?

What could be more delightful than enjoying some homemade rupture fruit jam on a hot summer afternoon? Just take a bamboo stick, spear a fruit, and slowly savor its sweet syrupy taste and the mild sourness of the rupture fruit. The combination of the sweet syrup and the fruit’s tartness makes you forget everything else, and before you know it, the jar of jam keeps getting emptier.

Long, frozen popsicles taken out from the freezer were a source of immense joy for so many kids. These stick smoothies had a cool sweetness that spread across the tongue, now a fond memory of those childhood days...

Even though they were wrapped in different fruit-flavored wrappers, they all shared the same sweet-sour taste. Back then, every child was eagerly biting, sucking, and relishing every last drop of it.

When mom used to take me to class, a stick of cotton candy was the most luxurious treat. The little machine, neatly placed behind the bicycle, was made from a round piece of sheet metal.

The candy vendor would wave the “magic wand” around, and within moments, a large, fluffy candy stick would appear. Those smooth strands clinging to the bamboo stick symbolized the whimsical childhood of countless 8x and 9x generations.

In the years before the 1990s, there weren't many snacks, so the cool ice cream sticks in the old foam box carried by the wandering ice cream vendor were a dream for every child.

Taking a bite of the ice cream, feeling the sweet flavor melt in the mouth, was truly a wish for any child, even if the ice cream was just diluted water, some sugar, milk, and food coloring.

Associated with the childhood of people born from the 60s to the 80s. The yogurt pouch was simply diluted yogurt placed into a small plastic pouch, which would then freeze solid like ice and be sold to quench thirst.

When eating, you would bite off a corner of the pouch to create a hole and gradually enjoy it until it was gone. Though this childhood snack was quite hard, it didn't matter because it extended the enjoyment of snacking much longer.

Candy C in the shape of hearts was considered a premium snack back then. Every time it was bought, one would count the pieces, promising to eat slowly, but the craving would take over, making the plan to save it fail before it even started.

Earth Plum Pack, also known as sour plum or 'mouse poop' plum, was another iconic childhood snack for the 80s generation. The sour and sweet taste, combined with its affordability, made it incredibly popular, especially among the girls.

It would be an oversight not to mention the various types of puffed snacks. Puffed rice, puffed tube, or crispy waffle cakes could be found everywhere, from rural to urban areas, and with just a few hundred dong, kids could enjoy these snacks. These were considered affordable treats. It would be incomplete to not mention puffed rice and puffed tubes, not only delicious but also used by mischievous children as 'swords' or 'sticks' during their battle games.

The salty, sweet, and spicy flavors of dried beef sold at the school gate became a snack closely tied to the childhood of many. For just 300 or 500 dong per pack, kids could snack during recess or secretly share with their neighbor while still in class, enjoying a treat while trying to hide it from the teacher.

Perhaps that's why these dried beef packs became a nostalgic and unforgettable snack for everyone from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s generations.

Many young people today might find it hard to imagine that spicy cinnamon was once an indispensable snack for the previous generation of teens.

Packaged in small plastic bags or broken into cinnamon sticks, this snack was a staple for many 80s kids. The sweet fragrance of the cinnamon bark mixed with its signature spicy kick made it a beloved treat for girls from the 80s.

Khác với các món bánh ăn cùng kem ngoại nhập, bánh mì kẹp kem tuổi thơ của 8x, 9x lại giản dị hơn nhưng không kém phần hấp dẫn. Một chiếc bánh mì tròn tròn được tách đôi ra, những viên kem tròn đủ vị cho vào làm nhân, đậu phộng, sữa đặc rải đều, hương vị này đã khiến biết bao trẻ con thời ấy thích mê.

Tuy kiểu kết hợp có phần kì lạ, bánh thì mềm, kem thì ngọt lạnh, ấy vậy mà lại "ăn rơ" vô cùng. Cắn một miếng thì cái lạnh của kem tan chảy và lan tỏa khắp khuôn miệng, kèm theo đó là chút ngậy vị bơ từ bánh mì. Có nhiều vị kem để bạn chọn, nào là vani, chocolate, dâu… Hiện nay, chỉ có xe kem lưu động ở khu Phan Văn Trị, Lê Hồng Phong (quận 5) là còn xuất hiện món quà vặt này. Mỗi phần bánh gồm 3 viên kem mát lạnh chỉ có giá 10.000 đồng mà thôi.

Ngày ấy bim bim chính là thứ quà vặt sang chảnh nhất mà phải ngoan, học giỏi thì mới có hi vọng mua cho. Bim bim ngày ấy cũng đơn giản, chỉ là vị tôm, cua mằn mặn hay sữa dừa ngọt lịm mà đứa trẻ nào cũng mê tít, cứ nghĩ đến lại thèm thuồng.

Đến bây giờ, thật khó để tìm lại những vị bim bim tuổi thơ thế này nhưng hương vị của nó đã ghi lại sâu trong ký ức tuổi thơ của rất nhiều người.

Finally, the must-try treat is the scale ice cream. Scale ice cream comes in a variety of flavors, from coconut milk and green rice to strawberry and taro. Adding some dried coconut pieces ensures that before the ice cream even begins to melt, it's all gone in an instant.

Kids love string candy because of its process that reminds them of making noodles in ancient films or on TV. Starting with a piece of soft candy, it's dipped in flour and pulled back and forth to create hundreds of tiny strands. These strands are placed on a piece of rice paper, topped with grated coconut and a drizzle of condensed milk, creating a sweet and rich treat.

This aromatic and slightly tangy candy with chewy coconut strands has long been a favorite of children from years ago.

It's rare to find someone who hasn't experienced the joy of a box of chewy sweet candy stored in a round plastic container. For just 500 VND, you got over 20 small pieces of candy, and shaking the box was incredibly fun to listen to. This candy typically came in two flavors: mint and orange. Whenever parents bought it, you treasured it like a precious item, and only your closest friends would get one piece if they asked.

The round box with chewy candy pieces that made a rattling sound when shaken was a favorite treat for many kids from the '80s and '90s, and even today, they can't help but feel nostalgic for it. Back then, a box of these only cost 500 VND.

This candy made from sticky grains requires a lot of effort to wrap, and when eating it, you're always worried about the candy strands getting caught in your hair.

Many children back then eagerly awaited a chance to trade worn-out sandals or chicken or duck feathers to get malt candy. The candy seller would use a wooden stick, wrapping some sticky malt at both ends. It looked small, but you could eat it forever.