Singapore's TidbiTs

Singapore Food & Culture From Ditches to Culinary Dishes: Three humble Singapore plants that colour, flavour, and fragrance our favourite foods Blue pea (butterfly tea), pandan and kantan (torch ginger) Have you ever wondered where the fragrant green in your kaya toast comes from? Or what gives rojak that unmistakable zing? Or why your butterfly-pea latte turns from sapphire to violet with a squeeze of lime? The answers lie in three unassuming plants that grow wild along Singapore's drains, parks, and fences — yet anchor some of our most beloved flavours. Table of Contents 1. Pandan — The Vanilla of the East 2. Torch Ginger (Bunga Kantan) 3. Blue Pea (Butterfly Pea) 4. At a Glance: The Three Plants 5. In the Modern Kitchen 6. Where to Find Them in Singapore 1. Pandan — The Vanilla of the East Pandanus amarylli...

Singapore Food & Culture The kaya toast set is Singapore's quintessential breakfast: two slices of crisp toast slathered with coconut jam and cold butter, a pair of wobbly half-boiled eggs drizzled with dark soy sauce and white pepper, and a cup of thick, fragrant kopi or teh . It is comfort food at its simplest and best — eaten in kopitiams (local coffee shops) from dawn till dusk, and increasingly recognised around the world. So iconic are these dishes that "kaya toast" and "half-boiled eggs" have both made their way into the Oxford English Dictionary . 📋 Quick Facts What it is Toasted bread + kaya jam + butter + half-boiled eggs + kopi/teh Origin Hainanese kopitiams in colonial Singapore Price (2025–2026) $2.50 (school canteen) – $6.30 (Ya Kun) – $7.40+ (Toast Box, tourist areas) Best time to eat Breakfast, but served all day at most chains Where to find Kopitiams, hawker centres, food courts, a...