Top 10: What is your favourite after-school snack, and why?

Lisa Kwong Nga-ching, 16, Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School: Spicy sticks, which are known as latiao in Chinese. Spicy and delicious, the sticks stimulate my taste buds, so they can effectively prevent me from falling asleep and power me up to bite the bullet while doing my endless homework and tedious revision. Besides, I can’t gobble an entire spicy stick in one go. While I eat it slowly, I am forced to take some time off from work, relax and reset myself for the next task.

Chan Hong-ting, 16, Shun Tak Fraternal Association Leung Kau Kui College: Definitely bubble tea! It’s not only the chewy texture of the bubbles, the milk which is creamy as silk and of course the brown sugar which make a cup of perfect bubble tea. It’s also the tea time spent with friends, each of us besties with a cup of bubble tea in our hands, whispering into each other’s ears, and sometimes bursting into laughter. These are some of the best moments in my life.

Sarina Wan Tsz-ching, 16, Sacred Heart Canossian College: My favourite after-school snack is pudding. My mum used to make pudding for me during the summer holidays when I was young. I love the sweet taste and creamy texture of pudding. It reminds me of the effort my mum put into making them and to care for me. Although we are both very busy nowadays and can’t make snacks together, we eat pudding in restaurants as dessert after dinner!

Ho Chun-fung, 14, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College: My favourite after-school snack is a slice of home-made banana bread. When I was young, my mom usually made that for my snack. The moment I walked through the door, the sweet aroma filled the air, instantly lifting my spirits. The soft, moist texture and the rich flavour of ripe bananas combined with hints of cinnamon create a heavenly treat. Each bite is a comforting embrace, reminding me of home and filling me with warmth.

What is the worst pizza topping?

Dora Hau Ming-yan, 15, Carmel Secondary School: Ice cream. After a whole day at school, my brain is like a CPU burning out. Besides, going to school and then back home under the melting sun makes me anxious and exhausted. Ice cream after school can cool me down by freezing my brain. I can enjoy the sweet and cold taste in my mouth for a short time without thinking or recalling the things I’ve learned in lessons. I have the energy to start my studying and homework after being cooled down by licks of the frozen dairy cream.

Bea Mark Hei-nga, 13, Christ College: Dark chocolate, especially after a rough day at school. Chocolate contains a particular substance called tryptophan which is an amino acid that brings you happiness. Dark chocolate might seem to be bitter when it first melts in your mouth, but after that, it brings a sweetness which always reminds me of a great quote a friend once told me: “No matter how hard life gets, there will always be a moment when you are truly happy.”

Phoebe Ng Pui-shuen, 12, Pui Kiu College: My favourite after-school snack is Hong Kong-style toast, which is cheaper and more common than Western-style toast. Its soft texture, the crispy sound when cutting into it, and its toasty scent are the characteristics of this dish. Its size is suitable for an after-school snack, and I can change its flavour easily by adding different toppings such as honey, butter, jam and even condensed milk. Furthermore, I can eat toast in the teahouse with my friends. Enjoying tea time with a friend and some toast is great!

Aldorino Syawiyanli, 16, Pok Oi Hospital 80th anniversary Tang Ying Hei College: In my primary school days, after school, I would go to the wet market to buy a box of takoyaki. It’s a ball-shaped snack made of wheat flour batter and inside there’s a piece of octopus meat and lettuce. The snack is usually drenched in mayo, sweet soy sauce and seaweed. I miss those days eating takoyaki at the park with my friends and watching the sun descend as the afternoon went by.

If you could learn to cook one meal perfectly, what would it be?

Ming Lee, 12, Singapore International School: My favourite after-school snack is toasted sourdough bread with some butter spread on it, with a side of popcorn and a glass of cold chocolate milk. The popcorn has a salty taste. It is quick to prepare, and it has protein, fibre and antioxidants. Toasted bread with butter is just heavenly with a crunchy feeling but a soft, salty flavour to the butter. The cold glass of milk rounds it off with a sweet finish, making me feel satisfied.

Hazel Lee Yin-wing, 14, Ho Lap College: My favourite after-school snack is dried mango. I love dried mango because it’s both sweet and sour. Additionally, every time I eat dried mango after school, it reminds me of my primary school days when my mum used to bring it for me. This after-school snack is filled with love.