Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Food In Singapore 12: Pineapple Tarts
Today, I will be blogging about a popular pastry in Singapore, Pineapple TartsIntroduction
The famous bite sized snack Pineapple Tarts is commonly eaten in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia, the town of Malacca is especially famous for producing delicious pineapple Tarts.
Considered a "festive cookie", pineapple tarts are usually consumed during the Chinese New Year season. While pineapple tarts are usually eaten during the Chinese New Year, they are sold all year round by commercial bakeries and by souvenir stores serving tourists.
Making the Tarts
The pineapple tarts are made with a large proportion of butter, egg yolk and cornstarch, thus giving it a rich, buttery, tender and melt-in-the-mouth texture. The pineapple jam is usually made by slowly reducing and caramelizing grated fresh pineapple that has been mixed with sugar and spices - usually cinnamon, star anise and cloves.
Personal Opinion
No doubt, this snack is a must-eat during Chinese New Year Period. Since I was young, my grandmother will always buy a few containers of pineapple tarts during the Chinese New Year period.
Anyway, I think that this snack is a very… general snack? Because almost all of the different pineapple tarts taste the same, except for the texture of the tart and the sweetness of the pineapple. For the texture, I really cannot describe what the ideal texture is; it’s something that you’ll know after you eat the snack. As for the sweetness of the snack, the optimum should be sweet enough to taste the pineapple taste but not too sweet that the sweetness will overpower the entire taste of the snack.
Food for Thought
What are other “festive snacks” that you eat during the Chinese New year period?
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_tarts
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv96wj0B8NaHkHxz__2-l4jcQ8hc_lgVU3z198aBcOwGZdEDHP3HpLMnjoqh84FJGo-hyY43UYJoaZ295WcIHHaMH32MeEtnmtv5rW_7M4LTyD07MW0-7_6mQAtsQo9YG5fW2rzoTXjDA/s400/104+pineapple+tarts+2.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/80669369_3b731c3a26_o%282%29.jpg
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Food In Singapore 11: Oyster Omelette
Today, I will be blogging about a popular dish in Singapore, Oyster Omelette.Oyster Omelette
Oyster Omelette is a dish that originated from Teochew. It is a popular dish in particularly Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.
Do note that the oysters used to make Oyster Omelettes are small oysters and not the big oysters with shell that westerners like to eat.
Interestingly, there are many variations to the name of the dish. In our area, (Malaysia and Singapore), the name of the dish is called 蚝煎.
Inside the Oyster Omelette
Oyster Omelette is made of small oysters and starch, particularly potato starch. However, egg can also be added to the dish as some people do not like the potato starch and the taste of the dish will be enhanced.
For the process of making the dish, the potato start will be mixed together with the egg batter, and the mixture, together with small oysters, will be fried into Oyster Omelette. Pork lard is commonly used to fry the omelette.
Hawkers of some region may choose to add a savoury sauce on top of the omelette. However, we don’t do that in our region. Instead, hawkers in Singapore and Malaysia oftenly serve the dish with a small amount of chilli sauce.
Personal Opinion
When I was young, I used to think that the big oysters I saw on TV was the one that I was eating in my Oyster Omelette. And now I'm wondering, what made me not realised that the difference in size is too great to be true.
Anyway, the first thing that I dislike about this dish is that sometimes the hawker puts too much potato starch into it. Too much potato starch not only ruins the taste of the dish, but it also makes it difficult to swallow, and it gives you a sick feeling like "can i stop eating this? i had enough". It's really hard to descibe, but sometimes the taste is just there, and I just can't finish my plate of Oyster Omelette. My solutions? Either I tell the hawker to put less potato starch and more egg (but sometimes you'll have to pay more) or I just go to a stall that I have previously patronised, then I will know if I get the sick feeling.
The last bad thing about this dish is not a dislike, but rather a complain. Ever since the economic crisis last year (or some time around that period), the amount of oysters in oysters omelette has decreased to a pathetic number. Sometimes you only get 3 oysters in a plate of $4.00 Oysters Omelette. This leaves you feeling stupid/cheated, doesn't it?
Then the only solution is to ask for more oysters when ordering! (But be willing to fork out more money if you do so)
Food for Thought
Oyster Omelette’s potato starch may cause some people to have a feeling like “I’m sick of this dish”. It may also make you feel bloated. Have you experienced the feeling before?
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_oyster
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/liannekang/foodrepublic0.jpg
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
Food In Singapore 10: Ice Kachang
Today, I will be blogging about a desert, which is the famous Ice Kachang.What is Ice Kachang
Ice Kachang is a sweet tasting desert that served with sweet flavoured syrup, jelly and ice. The name literarily translates to “red bean ice”, which already tells you the fact that traditionally, ice kachang was served with ice and red bean only. However, now Ice Kacang comes in different bright colours, and with different fruit cocktails and dressings.
What composes the Ice Kachang
As I have already mentioned, Ice Kachange was traditionally served with just ice and red bean. However, the Ice kachang today has a base in a bowl that is supporting an “ice mountain”, and the base comprises of attap chee, red beans, grass jelly, cubes of agar agar and chendol. The ice mountain is usually decorated with bright colouring syrups and evaporated milk and some sweet corn cream will be drizzled over the “ice mountain”.
Toppings of the Ice Kachang may vary, since different stalls may introduce new toppings such as durian, chocolate or even ice cream.
Personal Opinion
Personally, I have liked this desert the best since young, out of so many deserts. (I think that my opinion is similar to many other Singaporean children.) This is because I feel that in a hot and humid country like this, deserts should not only taste well but should cool down your body and refresh you during a warm day. Ice Kachang, with its “ice mountain”, serves the second purpose. Other than that, when I was a kid I have always liked Ice Kachang due to its colourful appearance.
My favourite topping for the Ice Kachang is the original topping with all the colourful syrups. Other than because of its “superior” outer appearance, I feel that the other toppings are, in a way, disgusting because of the taste of the colouring.
It may be an interesting fact to note that none of my parents share my views; my mother and father are fans of Cheng Teng and Chendol respectively. However, I still think that Ice Kachang rocks the most!
Food for Thought
There are so many ingredients that form the entire Ice Kachang, so which ingredient do you like the best?
Also, there are many different toppings nowadays for Ice Kachang. Which is your favourite topping and why?
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_kacang
http://www.flickr.com/photos/superlocal/93851975/
http://friends.myspacecreator.info/albums/userpics/10001/durian_ice_kachang~0.jpg
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Food In Singapore 9: Dou Hua
In this post, I will be blogging about a desert in Singapore, and that is Douhua, also known as 豆花.
Introduction
Douhua is something that I’m sure you have eaten before. As you all know, it is a Chinese desert that is made with very soft tofu. Served in a bowl, it is often eaten together with clear sweet syrup. In Singapore, it is this same syrup that is used to flavour soy bean milk drinks.
Many Stall Vendors may choose to sell Douhua that has a few ginko seeds suspended in the syrup. This is to heighten the taste of the Douhua. However, the customer can still choose to eat the original Douhua if they prefer the original one.
Personal Opinion
You may have realized that this post is really short. This is because there is really, really nothing to write about it. Thus, this is going to be a very short post, even if my “personal opinion will be longer than my Introduction itself.
Anyway, Douhua was something that I have been eating since young. And since young, I have not cared if the Douhua I have eaten is soft or not. My requirements towards the softness of the tofu are very low actually, as long as it taste normal, I think its fine. But to me, what’s important is the sweet syrup. Many people may think that the syrup must be really sweet; otherwise the syrup will be useless. However, I think otherwise. I think that the syrup must not be too sweet as it will overpower the overall taste of the desert, and also people will get easily sick of it. However, the flavour must not be too blant also, because the syrup contributes to most of the taste of the desert. If even the syrup taste blant then the whole Douhua is going to taste like porridge.
In my opinion, I feel that a good douhua should not be served chilled. Serving the douhua chilled always dilutes the taste of the syrup, and the tofu will not taste as nice also. To me, a good douhua should taste nice even if it is served warmed (and it is supposed to be served warm).
Regarding the ginko seeds, I just want to state that I don’t usually add ginko seeds when I eat Douhua. Not for a specific reason like I don’t like ginko seeds or anything, but I just don’t add, full stop. However, I do add ginko seeds once in a while, so that I do not taste the same flavour of douhua all the time.
Food for thought:
Douhua comes with a large amount of the “clear sweet syrup”. Can you give some opinions about the clear sweet syrup? Generally, do you think that it is too sweet or too bland for your personal taste?
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douhua
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1414/1450488069_203d00cf3d.jpg
Monday, June 21, 2010
Food In Singapore 8: Curry Puff
In this post I will be talking about the snack Curry Puff.Curry Puff: Introduction
The curry puff is a snack that originated from Malaysia, but Singaporeans modified it and came up with something unique. It is a small pie that consist of curried chicken, potatoes, a small slice of hard boiled egg and covered in a thick, deep fried pastry shell.
Curry Puffs in Singapore
Curry Puff is a common snack in Singapore, available at shopping centres, markets, or night markets (Pasar Malam).
The franchise stall of Old Chang Kee is famous for selling puffs and snacks, particularly their Curry Puffs.
Other than using curry chicken as filling for the curry puff, there are modified versions of curry puff in singapore that use "exotic" fillings for curry puffs, such as yam, durian, corn, red bean, nata de coco, grass jelly or birds nest. Other more common fillings are tuna, sardine or black pepper chicken.
Other than Old Chang Kee, stalls famous for curry puff include A1 Curry Puff, Sim Sun Pastries, Pie Connections, Polar Puffs and Cakes and Delifrance. However, the type of curry puff may vary from stall to stall.
Personal Opinion
To me, curry puff has never been something that can fill my stomach. I have always thought of it as a snack that you eat in the afternoon.
Anyway, I personally prefer the "authentic" curry chicken curry puff. I don't really like sardine, tuna or any other filling; and the simple reason is because I think that curry chicken filling taste the best. Period.
I personally feel that the curry puff should have a small slice of egg, because egg taste nice with curry puff? But I'm not saying that a curry puff MUST have a slice of egg, as long as the other ingredients taste nice, I'm okay with it even if there is no egg.
Personally I only like the curry puff from a stall from Ang Moh Kio. It taste delicious and freshly fried, not like the usual curry puff that Pasar Malam stalls sell. It has been there for so long, cold, and I always have the impression that their oil is dirty. Thus I have never eaten a curry puff from Pasar Malam Stalls.
Food For Thought
For curry puffs, which filling do you like the best, out of so many? What about the stalls, which stalls do you frequently patronise?
Post it as a comment!
Credits:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyt13kiprUYuEAu2RNCXptUmXT6QW2Fa8_eGT9GVsBBKA4R79GW3a0IaM88pNDdfm6LH4YlZju8c_BVkIn_Nf9hIMwEpX1bVV-W3mAKnx4vJ0tTRNPTAXseMhtxTElr7Qf7YK-IMgqvA/s1600/currypuff.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2046/2219893637_26fab1d5c5.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_puff
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Food In Singapore 7: Chai Tao Kway
In this post today I will be blogging about Chai Tao Kway, the singaporean version of Carrot Cake.The Carrot Cake
Before misunderstandings arise, let me make it clear that there are no connections between this dish and the Western Desert of the same name, "Carrot Cake".
For our local Carrot Cake, it is made with rice flour and fried daikon (daikon is a type of radish, which might be a reason to the name of the dish). The other ingredients in this dish includes egg, spring onion, garlic and occasionally fried shrimp.
There are two variants to this dish, the black carrot cake, whereby soy sauce is added, and the normal (supposedly white) carrot cake, whereby no sweet soy sauce is added.
Preparing the Dish
The dish is prepared by first preparing the daikon cake itself by steaming it. After it is steamed, it is normally cut into pieces and stir fried together with the other ingredients (Egg, spring onion, garlic and maybe fried shrimp).
There are different ways of adding egg to the dish, depending on the customer's order of black or white carrot cake. For white carrot cake (the normal one), carrot cake is fried on top of a beaten egg to form a crust, but for the black version (the one with sweet soy sauce), the egg is simply mixed in with the carrot cake.
Spring onion is usually added just before serving the dish, spreaded over the dish itself. Chilli sauce may also be added as some people like spicy food.
Personal Opinion
I used to be a big fan of this dish, until when I was around primary 6, then I didn't like it as much, because there was a period of time when I kept eating carrot cake, and my body got so sick of it and I sort of reject it a bit nowadays. But that doesn't mean that I have some Carrot Cake phobia; I'll still continue eating it.
For carrot cake, I feel that the most important thing about the dish is not a particular ingredient, but the taste of it overall. This is because of the use of rice flour. This means that if the dish is not made properly, it will make a person sick of the dish after 2 mouthfuls of it. Thus, it has to achieve a good taste without making the consumer have the "oh my i'm sick of this disgusting flour" feeling.
Personally, I prefer normal carrot cake (without sweet soy sauce) in general. This is because sometimes hawker may add too much sweet soy sauce and thus ruin the taste of the dish totally.
Food for Thought
There are two colours to this dish, black and white. Which one do you prefer, and why?
Credits:
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logo/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
http://aromacookery.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/seng_kee_carrot_cake.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_tao_kway
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Chai_tow_kway.jpg
Food I Ate: 锅贴，水饺，酸辣汤
Today I'm not going to blog about a particular dish in general, I'm going to blog about what I ate for dinner today, which was 锅贴，水饺 and 酸辣汤. In English, they will be Pan Fried Dumplings, Boiled Meat Dumplings and Sour and Spicy Soup.Firstly I will talk about the Pan Fried Dumplings. Their pan fried dumplings were delicious, as you bite into the crispy (and crunchy?) outer skin, you get to taste the meat that is inside it. After you finish the first 1, it makes you crave for another. Before taking a bite, I would prefer to dip the dumpling into the chilli sauce provided, as it enhances the taste of the dumplings.
I ate 8 of this Pan Fried Dumplings. It may sound like a lot, but it is doesn't make you feel very bloated.
Next, I will talk about the Boiled Meat Dumplings.
Unfortunately I didn't get to take a picture of the Boiled Meat Dumplings because I was too carried away with eating :/ Thus, I'll be taking a picture from the internet.
Anyway, the boiled meat dumplings are also very delicious. Although made with the same ingredients, the outer covering and the pork meat inside, it taste very different from the Pan Fried Dumplings, because of the "skin" of the dumpling. Although this snack does not provide you with the crispy sensation of eating Pan Fried Dumplings, it is equally tasty because there is a bit of soup that comes with the dumpling. The taste of the dumpling will also be enhanced if you dip the dumpling into the special sauce provided. In the sauce, there will be ginger. Take the ginger together with the dumpling, it will give you a completely different taste!
In my opinion, this snack may not taste as nice compared to the Pan Fried Dumplings. However, the Pan Fried Dumplings pale in comparison in terms of healthiness of the dish, because the Pan Fried Dumplings may seem to be heaty to some.
Lastly I will talk about the Sour and Spicy Soup. The sweet and sour soup is a very commendable dish. Some may relate Sour and Spicy Soup to the famous Thai dish Tom Yam Soup - the dish which gives 2 extreme tastes to your taste buds and send you crying for water. However, this dish is nothing like Tom Yam Soup. The taste of the soup is mild so that it can be accepted by everyone, but yet you still can taste and experience the sensation. In the soup, there are prawns, toufu, and slices of sotong. The soup is somewhat addictive and lets you wanting another bowl after you finish the first bowl. The sour taste of the soup also lets the soup acts as an appetiser before eating dumplings/other dishes.
---
In case you are curious about where I ate, it is at a very old market at Margaret Drive. The market is opposite/beside Queenstown Library. Walk around the perimeter of the 2nd floor of the market and you'll find it, since nowadays most of the stalls are not opened. The stall is called "Shanghai Dim Sum" or something to that extend, and other than the 3 dishes above they also sell Hokkien Mee and Shanghai 年糕".
Go there fast if you want to eat it, because the market is going to undergo renovation soon and I'm afraid that the stall will never be found again :(
---
Kim Yao
Picture Credits:
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/dongbei_cai_jiaozi.jpg
Saturday, June 19, 2010
"The Hottest Wings In Town"
In this post, I will not be introducing a new dish, instead I will be talking about this interesting article that appeared on Yahoo! News, labelled "The Hottest Wings In Town"Article Link: http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/17/the-hottest-wings-in-town/
Reflections
The article sure interesting (: Personally, I have never eaten spicy chicken wings before.
One thing that I found interesting was how the spiciness was measured through level. It is interesting how things starts from level 2, and you think it's going to be a piece of cake, and it goes on and on until level 30, which sounds pretty crazy since they are 28 levels apart. What surprises you is that just 3 levels later it becomes "palate-busting, tongue-scorching, tear-jerking"-ly hot.
Another interesting thing about this restaurant is that they write your name on the hall of fame for eating level 30 chicken wings, supposedly the most spicy chicken wings. Apparently, you also get a certificate for eating a certain level of chicken wings
However, I do feel that a plate of fish and chips at 15 dollars is ridiculously expensive, comparing it with normal prices. However, if it is worth the money, then I have no problems with it.
On a side note I feel that this blogger's English is very good, since he was able to phrase his sentences in such a realistic manner that I can almost feel the spiciness of the chicken wings.
Overall, I feel that this chicken wings are quite interesting and I will want to try them if I get the chance. However, I will only order level 3 chicken wings because I'm afraid that I cannot enjoy them because of the spiciness.
Food In Singapore 6: Kaya Toast
Today, I will be talking about a popular item of a typical Singaporean breakfast, Kaya Toast.What is Kaya Toast?
Kaya toast is a popular “snack” in Malaysia and Singapore. It consists of two pieces of break toasted and spreaded with kaya, margarine, or butter. This snack is usually eaten for breakfast, together with a cup of tea or coffee and one or two half boiled eggs.
[Kaya is coconut jam made of eggs, sugar and coconut milk and flavored with pandan]
It is sold in most coffee shops of Singapore; there are even shops that specialize in selling this, such as the famous Ya Kun Kaya Toast franchise.
Personal Opinion
Note that I totally skipped the preparing of this dish because the steps are too simple. It only involves toasting bread and spreading the kaya/margarine/butter onto the toast. However, do not be misled by this into thinking that preparing this dish is very easy. For this dish to taste nice, it takes a lot of skill and experience (not that I have any of it…). It also depends on the type of ingredients used.
First of all, I think that the toasting of the bread is really important. Although the snack can be prepared on untoasted bread, toasting the bread will make it taste nicer. However, toasting is not all; toasting for the correct amount of time is important too. If it is toasted for too short time, the toasting will not take effect. However, toasting the bread for too long will cause it to be burnt and thus ruin the taste. Toasting to the point whereby it is crispy and is not burnt is optimum.
Secondly, I think that the Kaya used is very important too. Note that I’m only using Kaya as an example because I don’t like eating Toast with margarine or butter. Anyway, the “quality” of the Kaya must be good and taste nice. This is because it contributes to most of the taste of the snack. Also, the layer of Kaya spreaded should not be too thick as it will be too strong and overpower the entire taste of the snack and it must not be too thin as the taste will not be strong enough and will not taste nice.
Thus, I personally think that preparing a good Kaya Toast may not be as easy as it seems (:
Food for Thought
There are many combinations of eating Kaya Toast:
Bread: toasted or untoasted?
Drink: Coffee, tea or none?
Egg: 1 egg? 2 eggs? Or none?
Spread: Kaya? Margarine? Butter
I’m sure that all of you have different taste and preferences. Post your favourite combination in the comments section, and tell me why!
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaya_toast
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Kaya_Toast_with_Coffee.jpg
http://www.soshiok.com/images/0000/0618/Ya_Kun_Kaya_Toast_Set.jpg
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Food In Singapore 5: Chee Cheong Fun
Hi! I haven't blogged in a really long time, because I was really busy in the past 3 weeks (Yes, even though it is the holidays) Anyway, today I will be talking about "Rice Noodle Roll". From the name itself many people may not know what I am talking about. "Rice Noodle Roll is actually "Chee Cheong Fun".
What's Chee Cheong Fun?
Chee Cheong Fun. Does it sound funny to you? That's because it's in Cantonese. And the reason the name of the dish is in Cantonese is because the dish originated from Hong Kong, which "default" dialect is Cantonese.
Chee Cheong Fun is a popular dish in Singapore and it is oftenly eaten in with a variety of other dim sum dishes, and they are usually eaten as breakfast.
There are many variations to this dish, just alone for Cantonese Variations there are 8 different types, and not mentioning the Guangzhou version, the Vietnamese version. For this post, I will mainly be talking about the Singapore-Malaysia variation.
What Makes up Chee Cheong Fun?
Chee Cheong Fun is a thin roll of "Shahe fen" (a type of chinese noodles) that is filled with ingredients inside. Common ingredients include shrimps and pork. Some hawkers also like to add sesame seeds on top of the dish so that it looks better.
It is usually served together with soy sauce poured over it to heighten it's taste. Many hawkers may also provide chilli sauce as some locals like to mix the chilli sauce with the soy sauce to eat it.
Penang version of this dish use a different type of sauce to accompany this dish, either a kind of sweet black sauce or shrimp paste.
Personal Opinion
Although a popular dish in Singapore, I don't really see alot of hawkers selling this dish. All of the hawkers that I see selling this dish are dim sum stalls. This is probably due to the fact that although there are very little steps to preparing this dish and the ingredients used are minimal, it is difficult to make a delicious Chee Cheong Fun - the bottom is easy to get burnt and steaming it might make it feel raw on the top. The "Shahe Fen" must also be of the correct thickness, not too thick or too thin.
I personally think that for Chee Cheong Fun, the sauce is the most important factor in deciding it's taste. The sauce must be somewhat compatible with the Chee Cheong Fun itself, and so when combined they will taste nice. (Just like how matching clothes look well together). Personally I prefer Chee Cheong Fun with soy sauce. I have never eaten it with shrimp paste before, but I used to eat it with sweet sauce in my primary school, and I feel that the sweet sauce ruins the taste of the Chee Cheong Fun. I also do not like to mix the soy sauce with chilli sauce as I think that the chilli sauce will cover/overpower the taste of the soy sauce.
Food For Thought
Chee Cheong Fun, in Cantonese, literarily translate to "Pig Intestine Noodles". We can reason that it is called noodles because of "Shahe Fen" being a kind of noodle, but can you guess why the dish is called pig intestine?
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chee_cheong_fun
http://www.grampianspyreneespcp.org.au/Image/Agency%20Logos/Food%20For%20Thought%20Logo%20Reversed.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc64/gykchin/kampar_chee_cheong_fun_served.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/GD_Rice_Product_1.JPG