Lavinia Woolf
In Singapore, food is something you must not ignore. There is a wide variety of cuisine that must be tried out and it could be anything from Hainanese chicken rice to chili crab.
Also known as gin sling, this drink was introduced before 1915 by a bartender. This drink is made of gin, cherry, liqueur, Benedictine, pomegranate and pineapple juices. Sarawak pineapples are used to make the creamy top. This is usually meant for ladies owing to its pinkish hue. Modern recipes add club soda. This drink is featured in Somerset Maugham’s short story ‘The Letter’. This drink now comes in bottle form. The versions of the drink may vary based on its ingredients.
This is a mixture of fruits and vegetables, commonly found in Malaysia and Indonesia in addition to Singapore. Rojak has many versions of preparation, which usually consist of bean sprouts, greens, deep fried soybean cake, fried flour, pineapple, cucumber and roasted peanuts. The interfusion of these greens and fruits give a rich reddish colour to rojak. The peanuts are chosen carefully by making sure they are properly chopped and roasted. An Indian version is also found, which is dipped in peanut sauce with a good sprinkling of spices. You have the opportunity to customize your rojak by selecting the ingredients of your choice. Check out Somerset Liang Court Singapore for good portions of rojak.
Rendang, a traditional meat dish, is usually served at ceremonies such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri. CNN chose this as one of the world’s 50 most delicious food items. Lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies are battered into one mixture, which will layer the curry. It is boiled with coconut milk and various spices until the meat gets soft. The meat used for rending is beef, though chicken and lamb are also used. Although earlier used for ceremonial purposes, Rendang is now eaten throughout the year. Rendang is usually consumed along with Ikan Bakar (barbequed fish), Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) and Sayur Lodeh (vegetable curry), together with rice.
This round-shaped sweetmeat has various purposes. In early Chinese history, Zhu Yuanzhang, a military leader, is said to have distributed messages through these mooncakes in a bid to topple the Mongolian rule. People followed the message on a full moon day and toppled their government to form Ming dynasty. This is now celebrated by eating mooncakes.
Modern versions of mooncake have also emerged giving a wide range of flavours: durian, ice cream, bird’s nest, chocolate, green tea, cream and cheese.
Yong Tau Foo means ‘stuffed bean curd’ conveniently available anywhere in Singapore. This dish contains chilli, lady’s fingers, bean curd, bitter gourd, mushroom and eggplant. Yong Tau Foo is also available at supermarkets ready to prepare. The curd is stuffed with fish. A proper Yong Tau Foo should have a proper fish paste. This could come either dry or in soup format.
