History of Bergedil • Fried Potato Patty Loved throughout Maritime Southeast Asia

Every time I have mee rebus, mee soto, nasi lemak, nasi ambeng, etc., I'll throw in a bergedil, whenever it is available.

History & Origin of Tempura 天ぷら • Lasting Legacy of a Brief Japanese - Portuguese Encounter

Most of us have tasted tempura, the iconic Japanese fried vegetable, fish, and seafood dish. Many of us like it but some of us may be surprised that the Japanese learned to prepare this dish from the Europeans, Portuguese specifically.

And, it was fairly recently in historical terms. 

Just some 500+ years ago. 

Origin of Sarawak Laksa · Breakfast of the Gods · Noodles of Obsession

Laksa is probably the most widespread noodle dish in the world with many regional versions e.g. Russian lapsha, Afghan lakhchak, laksa Johor, Siglap laksa, Katong laksa, Penang laksa, Sarawak laksa, etc.

Sarawak laksa is arguably the most complex laksa and without a doubt, it is the late Anthony Bourdain's favourite.

A lot has been written about Sarawak laksa. Google search yields:

Sarawak laksa - 2.3 million results

Nyonya laksa - 1.1 million results

Singapore laksa - 1 million results

The global interest, I believe is thanks to Anthony Bourdain's mentions.

History of Rasgulla · Rosogolla · Milk Curd Balls with Syrup

Rasgulla or rosogolla is a popular sweet in India, especially in Bangladesh, and the Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha. In Singapore, you can find them in Little India and Little Bangladesh.

Food as Living Edible Monument ● Stories of People & Kingdoms through their Cuisine

Monuments are usually made of stone or metal. Unlike artefacts made of wood or leather which can be burned to ashes by enemies, drowned by floods, swallowed by forests, or simply reduced to dust by time, stone and metal can withstand the passage of many seasons.

History of Ice, Ice Ball and Ice Kacang in Singapore ● Tropical Ice Paradise

People enjoy iced drinks and cold desserts during hot weather since ancient times.

Singapore & Malaysia Bak Kut Teh History 肉骨茶的歷史

Bak kut teh can be found in both Singapore and Malaysia though they differ in form and taste. Generally, the Malaysian variety is savoury herbal in brownish soup while the Singapore version is peppery in lighter colour soup. 

History of Sambal ● Is There Sambal Before the Portuguese? From Piper to Capsicum

The spicy hot relish known as sambal is ubiquitous in Indonesian, Malaysian and Singapore cuisine. Sambal can be a condiment or an ingredient in a dish (e.g. sambal kang kong, sambal squid, etc).

Sambal likely came from the Javanese word sambel. The spicy relish is found throughout Nusantara (Malay archipelago) in many varieties, localised according to local taste and availability of ingredients. 

Nasi Lemak & Nasi Uduk ● What is the Difference?

Is this nasi lemak or nasi uduk?

Malaysia's nasi lemak and Indonesia's nasi uduk are often considered the same dish. Nasi lemak is ubiquitous in Malaysia and Singapore, while nasi uduk is a staple in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nasi lemak means "fatty rice" in Malay and nasi uduk means "mixed rice" in the Indonesian Batawi dialect. How are nasi lemak and nasi uduk related, and what does that relationship tell us about the history of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore?

By the way, the photo above is a nasi uduk box set from Jakarta. Clockwise from top left - shredded fried chicken, coconut milk rice, shredded fried tempe, shredded fried egg, cucumber slices.

Fabulous Faloodeh ● Did Cendol Come from an Ancient Persian Cold Dessert?

In Iran, there is an ancient cold sweet dessert known as "Faloodeh". In its simplest form, it is rice or wheat vermicelli (noodles), rose water, sugar syrup and ice. "Faloodeh" goes back to 400 BC i.e. it is more than 2600 years ago.

Origin and History of Chendol • CNN World's Best 50 Desserts

Chendol is commonly found in Singapore hawker centres. It is a well loved sweet, affordable cold dessert popular with both young and old. The young love its layers of sweetness and flexibility of fanciful toppings while the old have the added pleasure of enjoying it for nostalgia. Chendol is a 1,000 year old Southeast Asian dessert, a godsend for our repressive humid hot climate.

ORIGIN & SOURCES of Singapore Hawker Culture • Born with a Silver Spoon of Unusual Wealth in Culinary Inheritance

Singapore is one of the youngest countries in the world yet it is blessed with the cuisines of several of the world's oldest civilisations.

Singapore became independent in 1965. Just 146 years prior, Singapore was a backwater, part of the Johore Sultanate which realm included Johor, Singapore, the Riau islands and east Sumatra. Most of Singapore's inhabitants at that time were fishermen, farmers or sea nomads (Orang Laut).

History of Peranakan Itek Tim • Salted Vegetable Duck Soup 土生華人咸菜鸭汤 • 炖鸭汤

I love kiam chye ark or salted vegetable duck soup (actually I love everything duck 😬 ). In Singapore, this savoury sourish duck soup dish is rarely found in hawker stalls. The favourite of most people is sold at Hup Seng Duck Rice at Blk 22, Sin Ming Road.

What is the Difference Between Penang Malaysia and Singapore Prawn Noodle?

Penang Hokkien Noodle

What is the difference between Singapore and Malaysia prawn noodle (known as Hokkien mee in Penang)?

Origin & History of Singapore Prawn Noodle 新加坡蝦麵从哪里来

Xiamen city 厦门 in Fujian province of China has an iconic prawn noodle dish. Sea prawns are plentiful along Fujian's shoreline, especially during summer, hence prawn noodle 蝦麵 is also called summer noodles 夏面 in Fujian.

Indian Roots of Southeast Asian Cuisine • Indian Origins of Malay & Indonesian Food

Curry stingray in Johor, Malaysia

When we discuss Indian heritage cuisine in Singapore and Malaysia, most of us assume or presuppose that Indian cuisine was brought here by indentured labourers during the British colonial era (from the 1800s). That is only partially true. 

Indian cuisine have deeper, much older, more pervasive influence in Southeast Asian cuisine (not just Singapore and Malaysia) that dates back over 2,000 years.

This post is about the origins of that deep Indian influence, often overlooked today buried under many layers of our multicultural influences and time. As the dishes evolved and become localised (indigenised) over 2,000 years of adaptation, their Indian origins become less obvious.

Origin of Hokkien Mee in Penang · Noodles in Prawn Head Soup from Xiamen

Hokkien mee in Penang (known in Singapore as Penang prawn mee) refers to the umami rich, spicy soupy noodle dish garnished with prawn, pork slices, hard boiled egg, kang kong (water spinach), and fried shallot. The signature soup which defines the dish is made by boiling fried prawn heads, shells and sambal chili together with pork and chicken stock bones.

Surprising History of Nasi Ayam Penyet · Iconic Chicken & Rice from Indonesia

The Indonesian dish, nasi ayam penyet is found throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, in what is known as Nusantara (an old Javanese term referring to the realm of the Majapahit empire). One might have thought that the ubiquitous dish that conquered Nusantara should be as old as the Majapahit empire (1293 - 1527). Actually, it was created recently, in the 1990s 🤔 

A Very Brief History of the Melayu Kingdom

Muaro Jambi Buddhist Temple

There was an ancient Melayu kingdom based in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia between the 600s and 1300s. Knowing the history of the Melayu kingdom helps us better understand the roots of Malay cuisine.

History of Babi Guling & Why Balinese Eat Pork in the World's Largest Muslim Country

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, so why do Balinese in Indonesia eat pork? 

The most common reply is: "Because Balinese are Hindus".