Celebrating with Pineapple & Rhubarb Jam

Pineapple tarts are ubiquitous during Lunar New Year celebrations in Singapore—hands down, they’re our favorite festive treat. These golden, buttery pastries filled with fragrant pineapple jam symbolize prosperity, abundance, and good fortune, making them an essential part of Chinese New Year tables across Singapore and Malaysia.

During Covid when global travel ban grounded us in Portland, we actually made pineapple tarts ourselves to overcome our homesickness. Anyone who’s tried making them knows they are truly a labor of love—time-intensive, meticulous, and absolutely worth it. My mom didn’t make pineapple tarts growing up; (they were more of a specialty from Auntie F’s family which we were lucky recipients of). But what she did excel at was making jams. This was always the time of year she would cook them, when Sarawak pineapples were in season—naturally sweet, aromatic, and bursting with flavor.

In the U.S., we don’t have access to the wide variety of pineapple cultivars grown in Southeast Asia. Instead, most pineapples we find in Oregon travel long distances before reaching our kitchens. Re-creating that nostalgic flavor took a lot of tinkering.

This year, we finally got it just right. By pairing pineapple with locally sourced rhubarb, we achieved the balance we love most: bright, tart, and gently sweet, with depth and freshness that reminds us of home—while rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

How to Enjoy Pineapple & Rhubarb Jam

Our favorite way? Slather this thick, luscious jam onto crusty bread and let it shine. You can also channel your Great British Bake Off spirit and bake a Mary Berry–style Victoria sponge cake, layering it generously between clouds of buttercream. In the colder winter months, try slicing fresh ginger and stirring it into the jam for a warming, tangy, tropical twist—comforting, nostalgic, and quietly indulgent.