When I was a boy in 1970s Singapore, one of my favourite pastimes was to follow uncle Teo around Singapore spotting wild flowers. Today, I relived my childhood following chef Isaac Henry spotting wild edible leaves, flowers and fruits around Dempsey Hill.
Chef Isaac Henry's career took him to South Africa, France, Germany and now Singapore. In France, Isaac was with Two Michelin Star Le Grand Restaurant in Paris. In Singapore, Isaac worked at Stella Restaurant, Whitegrass in CHIJMES and The Summerhouse.
Today's forage walk is at Dempsey Hill (Bukit Timah Hill, Upper Thomson Road, Changi, the Rail Corridor are also rich foraging grounds in Singapore).
Without further ado, let's get into the sun. It was such a beautiful day, so pretty I thought it was a Sunday (today is actually Tuesday 😄 ).
Isaac showed us a noni tree at the start of our forage trail.
Noni best known for making noni juice is native to Southeast Asia. It is marketed as a super fruit and cancer cure (but the claim is not scientifically verified).
It was a hot day in Singapore. If you are going foraging, essentials are water, a hat, insect repellent and a full stomach before you set off. Make sure to bring a camera that needs feeding 📷
Lavender Sorrel is rather common and grows close to the ground.
The sourish tasting leaves are used in salads or add into nasi ulam. The white flowers are also used a garnish.
Isaac showed us a starfruit tree. Spotted some flowers but no fruit on the tree.
A couple of starfruit on the floor. Over ripened and perhaps visited by squirrels.
Wild pepper or daun kaduk hutan in Malay. The leaves are julienned for use in nasi ulam or used to wrap otak otak. The pepper berries are green in colour but we didn't spot any today.
Wild peppers are quite common in Singapore and during my childhood, they were good hunting grounds for fighting spiders. (Image credit: Wikipedia)
There is so much to learn!
Just a reminder that picking of flowers, leaves and fruits on state land is against the law. No issue, only the camera needs feeing ✌
This wild cucumber was the biggest surprise for me today.
The mini cucumber tastes exactly like the regular cucumbers we get at the supermarket but the skin is more fibrous and crunchy.
It was a fruitful day. Plenty of time bathing in the sun, learned a lot, reconnected with our country's natural beauty (what's left of it) and clocked 12,000 steps in a very enjoyable way.
Today's short walk has rekindled my interest in foraging. I will be going for more forage walks and will update this post with new finds from time to time.
Please share your forage walk finds in the comments.
Date: 22 Sep 2020
Is Chef Henry offering foraging walks?
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