Chendol / Cendol
Chendol is a popular sweet shaved ice dessert found across Southeast Asia. Topped with green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and a drizzle of palm sugar syrup. It is definitely a refreshing treat during a hot summer day.
After a long day of walking under Singapore's sweltering heat, quench your thirst with some Ice Kacang, Teh Peng (Iced Milk Tea), Grass Jelly or Sugarcane Juice! Cheng Tng (Clear, Sweet Soup with Longan, Snow Fungus and more) and Tau Huay (Soya Bean Dessert) are also popular desserts that can be eaten hot or cold.
Chendol is a popular sweet shaved ice dessert found across Southeast Asia. Topped with green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and a drizzle of palm sugar syrup. It is definitely a refreshing treat during a hot summer day.
Cheng tng, which translates to clear soup, is a traditional Singaporean sweet treat that is usually eaten as a dessert. Although the ingredients may differ, the dish is usually made by combining dried longan, white fungus, gingko nuts, red dates, pearl barley, large sago pearls, lotus seeds, and candied winter melon.
It means ice bean in Malay is a popular dessert in all year summer country. The ingredients are generally put into a bowl before shaving ice on top to form a mountain. Ingredients generally include attap chee (palm seed), red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly and cubes of jelly. Final topped with evaporated milk, condensed milk, or coconut milk drizzled over the mountain of ice along with red rose syrup. In recent times, novelty ingredients also include aloe, nata de coco, or ice cream and finally topped with durian or chocolate syrup.
Pulut hitam is a sweet dessert originating from Indonesia. It is made from black glutinous rice that is turned into a porridge and is topped with coconut milk and either palm or cane sugar.
Known as Hong Dou Tang in mandarin and it is usually served a dessert, either warm in winter or chilled in summer. A refreshing dessert for both young and old left over could also be made into popsicles. Additional toppings like sago, tapioca, coconut milk, ice cream or glutinous rice balls could be added as well.
Known as Soya milk or Dou-Nai in mandarin. Used to be a morning beverage to go with You-Tiao (Fried dough fritters), it has become a drink for all ages who might prefer a vegetable-based 'milks', by individuals who are vegan or lactose intolerant. You might choose to add some sugar syrup to sweeten your beverage a little. Another secret beverage to order is called the Yuan-Yang soya milk where the vendor would add grass jelly drink in a 50-50 mixture of soya milk. It would generally result in a half black half white drink hence the name.
Tau Suan is a Chinese starchy soup dessert dish made out of split mung beans. The dish has medicinal properties which is said to help aid in body cooling. Top the soup off with fried dough sticks (you tiao) to soak up the warming soup.
Tau Huay is a popular soy bean pudding dessert that has a smooth and silky texture and is enjoyed either hot or cold. It is sweetened with a simple syrup that makes it more delicious as a snack. Have it cold and melt-in-your-mouth on a hot day.
Kopi means coffee (咖啡) in Hokkien (Chinese Dialect) and generally served with sweetened condensed milk. It is a beverage most order at local coffee shops and come in a variety of combinations. Either kopi (咖啡) with sweetened condensed milk or kopi-o (咖啡乌) with sugar only. Following which you may choose further as Siu-Dai (少糖,less sugar), Kah-Dai (加糖,more sugar), Peng (冰, ice), Gau (厚,thick brew of coffee) or Po (薄, thin brew of coffee).
Known as the King of Fruit in Singapore and wildly popular among locals. You will not miss it when durian season is in full swing as stalls all over the island are often seen crowded with queues. Its either a love or hate relationship as some find the aroma attractive or repulsive. The custard like texture is another hurdle some find difficult to overcome - otherwise durian lovers generally finish licking their fingers. The colour of the flesh can range from pale yellow, bright yellow, light orange or even a tinge of red due to the many different variations producing different flavours. You have to try them all to determine which is to your liking. Durian is so popular that it has even been made into all sorts of desserts, snacks, drinks and even ice cream.
You will commonly find sugarcane juice in every hawker you visit. A favourite among Singaporeans; sugarcane stalks are pressed to extract the natural juice and is served as a healthy refresher.
ABC Juice; otherwise known as apple, beetroot, and carrot juice - is a healthy natural blend of just that! It makes a refreshing chilled drink and is commonly found at your average fruit juice stall.
A unique take on the avocado milkshake is pairing it with syrupy gula melaka; which is a sweet syrup made by caramelising coconut or palm suagr.