The story of Curry Puff and Pandan Chiffon?

I got myself into 'trouble' not reading my emails properly the other day... The University of Sheffield's International Students' committee were requesting international students to contribute recipes from home. They were going to get the University food court to do an International menu for International week (for people in Sheffield: 12-17th March). I thought it was a simple thing of sending the recipes in... so I suggested

http://www.makantime.com/indexrecipes.html

for chicken rice, curry puff and Pandan Chiffon cake.

They sent an email to me... 2 days ago saying that they picked curry puff and pandan chiffon to be served. And wanted my photograph + profile... and for me to write something about my hometown and background about the food!!! Gosh... I did not realize that sending in a recipe means that... I was thinking how embarassing it would be to have my poster next to the stall selling the food!!! sigh...

Anyway... this was what I sent in

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Singapore…
Not just the little red dot on the map…

Singapore is a modern and vibrant city, state and island, ‘all rolled into one’. She is located right on the equator, south of the Malaysian peninsula and surrounded by Indonesian islands.

In the early 1800s, British Colonial administrator Sir Stamford Raffles saw its sheltered waters and location as strategic for a trading port and set up a free port there. This move attracted merchants from all over the world, e.g. the Arabs, Chinese and Indians, bringing trade and people to the once simple fishing village. Since then, Singapore has not looked back. It is now an independent country and a republic. Its International airport has won the Best world wide airport award in 2005 and 2007.

Singapore’s roots as a migrant country contributed to its exciting range of delicacies. While some dishes may be culturally specific, many are a fusion of elements from the different cultures, making them Uniquely Singaporean. For example you may find foods in Singapore similar to what they have in China, but some will have a local twist to them. The 2 snacks featured today are clear examples of such.

Curry Puff
A savoury pastry debated by some, to be inspired by Indian Samosas, and others by English Cornish Pasties. It is a pastry pouch filled with curried potatoes and deep fried until golden. There are Malay versions of it called ‘epok-epok’ and Chinese versions of it which are much larger and filled with curried chicken, potato and sometimes egg.

Pandan Chiffon Cake
Pandan cake is a sweet fluffy cake made with Pandan leaf juice or extract. The Pandan plant is a aromatic herb that grow mostly in tropical countries, often used to flavour desserts. I have no idea how the first Pandan Chiffon came about. I suppose it is a Singaporean take on a western recipe. It is a popular cake in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and many South East Asian countries.

Singapore prides itself as a food paradise. Singaporeans love food and some take it as a social activity to find the best places for that special dish. If you ever visit Singapore, it will truly be a gastronomical experience for you.

By Koh Hwan Cui

Hwan Cui is a postgraduate research student with the Department of Psychology.

This is a photo of her taking part in a Food and Heritage Challenge, in Singapore, 2004. Teams competed to travel all over Singapore to try 5 dishes from different ethnic groups.

For further information:

www.visitsingapore.com