How This Woman Turned Her Family’s Kueh Recipes Into A S’pore Heritage Brand

In her hands, kueh-making is part tradition, part art. Each piece carries memories of family gatherings and festive tables, a taste of the past that still resonates today.

For Sandy, preserving kueh heritage isn’t just about nostalgia — it’s about keeping it relevant for a new generation. Even as food trends come and go, her handmade ang ku kueh remains timeless, proving that old-school flavours can still capture modern hearts.

At Kueh Ho Jiak, tradition doesn’t mean standing still. Sandy believes that for heritage to survive, it has to evolve.

Her philosophy is simple: keeping kueh relevant for the next generation isn’t betraying the past — it’s honouring it.

That’s why her signature sweet potato ang ku kueh is made with natural colours from real ingredients, not bold artificial dyes, and without preservatives. Each piece stays true to its roots while appealing to modern tastes — inviting younger Singaporeans to rediscover the beauty of handmade kueh.

Tan’s daughter Elizabeth Chan and granddaughter, custodians of the next generation, join her during peak periods, shaping dough with the same patient reverence. Sustaining tradition requires more than honouring roots — it demands cultivating new growth. In today’s image-conscious landscape, gastronomes seek experiences that satisfy both aesthetic and epicurean desires. Thoughtful packaging, elevated presentation, and intelligent innovation become the vehicles through which heritage finds its place at the contemporary table.

Lessons from the matriarchs

Sandy didn’t learn her craft in culinary school. Her teachers were her great-grandmother, grandmother, and a circle of kind, older kueh-makers who shared their knowledge through instinct. “Agak-agak,” they’d murmur, that kitchen incantation meaning ‘estimate intuitively’ the amount of flour or water. No precise measurements existed, only instinct. Through tireless experimentation, Tan has developed her signature approach — an alchemy of memory, warmth, and culinary intuition.

Supporting Tan and her immediate family, a team of five part-timers forms the operation’s foundation — some at the Tanjong Pagar stall, others at the Chai Chee workshop, each contributing to this symphony of tradition.

The workshop itself has evolved organically. What commenced as four or five weekly sessions expanded to seven through word-of-mouth alone. Today, with streamlined online bookings, the rhythm is more calibrated. Each two-hour immersion attracts an eclectic clientele: young families seeking meaningful connection over shared craft, corporate teams pursuing authentic bonding experiences. Participants depart with eight specialty kueh — including edible mementos of their own creation.

Corporate Singapore has embraced Tan’s artistry enthusiastically. Collaborations with discerning brands — Leica, Pokka, the Singapore Airshow, GastroBeats — showcase her inventive spirit. She recalled with wry affection the exhaustion of preparing ondeh-ondeh for a Japanese corporation’s event, bowing repeatedly as hundreds of guests collected their desserts. The memory persists: fatigue, certainly, but more profoundly, the satisfaction of bridging cultures through humble confection.

Beneath the success, however, runs the perennial challenge of hawker culture. Punishing hours, tropical conditions, and the unglamorous realities of stall operations make staff retention perpetually challenging. “I was born in 1965, 10th in a family of seven girls and four boys. We grew up dirt poor, and sometimes I believe those born in the 1960s are quite hardworking and resilient. They can ‘tahan’ (bear) stress,” Tan reflected with characteristic stoicism. Air-conditioned food courts offering comparable compensation inevitably lure workers away. Sandy navigates these challenges with equanimity, perpetually adapting, unfailingly resilient.

Her kueh themselves represent cultural confluence, and are halal-certified. The puteri and salat varieties acknowledge Peranakan tradition, though Tan favours the more encompassing term ‘Nanyang delicacy’ — an honest recognition of the Teochew, Hokkien, Peranakan, Malay, and myriad influences informing her craft. The bestsellers — Lotus Biscoff, D24 durian, and Haebeehiam sweet potato varieties — appeal to palates appreciating both nostalgia and innovation, while the mugwort and mung bean blend remains a refined favourite.

Through sustained efforts in reimagining kueh whilst preserving its essence, Kueh Ho Jiak has garnered international recognition, featuring in Netflix’s Food Tales: Crazy For Kueh. Such accolades serve not vanity but purpose: affirming that heritage reimagined with creativity and reverence resonates profoundly. It inspires not merely fellow enthusiasts but aspiring pastry artisans across Singapore and beyond — reminding them that exceptional pastry craft encompasses storytelling and cultural memory as much as technical mastery.

Today, Tan’s business comprises three complementary elements: a thriving e-commerce platform, the Tanjong Pagar stall, and the sought-after workshop. Her daughter oversees digital operations, ensuring seamless experiences for local and international clientele. Tan remains the soul of the physical spaces — a presence as familiar as sunrise — while both women conduct workshops and corporate engagements, transmitting knowledge to each eager cohort.

“In the beginning, (some) people thought I was ‘siao’ (crazy) — who’s going to eat ang ku kueh that’s not ‘ang’ (red) in colour? But I was set on interpreting traditional kueh for the modern world, yet respecting the past, using sweet potato and glutinous flour,” Tan explained.

Her determination crystallised through encounters with younger consumers. “We were at a hipster event and teenagers were queuing for ice cream and macaroons. I offered them free kueh samples. But they made a face. When I asked why, someone said that kuehs were for the elderly. It made us even more determined to preserve the heritage or our future generations will not know about kuehs,” Tan reflected.

This drive has earned recognition: Kueh Ho Jiak received the Spirit of Enterprise (SOE) Awards 2025 Established Honoree Award. The programme has celebrated over 550 exceptional Singaporean entrepreneurs across 17 years, honouring visionaries behind iconic brands including Charles & Keith, PropNex, and Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

“The SOE recognition gives us the strength and encouragement to keep our business moving forward. This is why receiving award means so much to us,” she acknowledged.

In Tan’s world, kueh-making transcends commerce. It embodies heritage, family, and continuous creation, pressed each morning into sweet potato dough’s supple embrace — a narrative that unfolds daily, box by precious box, across Singapore. “I’m doing something that I like, chasing my passion for kueh-making, and not just for making money,” she said.

Kueh Ho Jiak is located at #02-20, 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, S081006. Open Mon to Wed & Fri to Sat 7.30am – 2pm; closed on Thur & Sun. More info via Instagram.

Photos: Kueh Ho Jiak

Source: CNA/bt

The original version of this story first appeared in CNA Luxury.

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