Singapore Dessert

Singapore dessert comes in hot or cold, starchy or clear, healthy or sinful. Due to the hot and humid weather of Singapore, dessert stalls can be found almost everywhere. What’s my favorite Singapore dessert? Well, to pick one out of the wide selection of colorful and delicious dessert, I must admit it is not an easy task.

I believe dessert serves a purpose. You pick a different one every time, depending on your mood, feelings and atmosphere. In a hot tropical island like Singapore, cold desserts are always the preferred among Singaporeans. However, in a stormy wet day, hot desserts are typically the most selling.

If I have to choose one Singapore dessert that I ate the most, it would have to be the “Cheng Tng”. Why? Because it is a dessert that is not so sweet on the taste buds, cooling to the body and most importantly, contains herbal ingredients which are supposed to be healthy.

Singapore dessert evolved mainly from Javanese, Peranakan, Malay and Chinese influence. And they come in many different names, some in Chinese dialect, some in Malay and some in Javanese. For instance, Cheng Tng, Tau Suan, Or Nee and Tau Huay are desserts in Chinese/Dialect. Whereas, Ice Kacang and Pulot Hitam are dessert in Malay, Cendol and Bubur Cha-Cha are in Javanese.

Some might argued that these desserts that I just mentioned should not be classified as Singapore dessert, because they were first found in Malaysia or other region in South East Asia. Well, that could be true but my intention here is not to lay any claim but to show you that these are the usual desserts Singaporeans enjoy every day.

Today, Singapore dessert has transformed greatly from those of the early days traditional dessert. Do not be surprised to find some very creative mix where exotic tropical fruits are blended into these desserts. Durian Cendol, Mango Ice Kacang and even Pandan-flavored Ice Jelly are a few examples where new ingredients are added to bring you that extra flavor, extra texture and extra savor.

Most of these cold desserts in Singapore are served with shaved ice (better quality desserts are usually served with finer shaved ice). Of course, sugar, beans (green and red beans) and coconut milk are standard ingredients in the majority of the Singapore dessert you can find. And I must warn that Singapore desserts are usually very heavily syrupped, and can be extremely sweet. So, if you don’t have a sweet tooth and yet don’t want to give it a miss, it helps to let the shaved ice melt to dilute the sweetness slightly.

The following are desserts you can easily find in hawker centers and food courts in Singapore. Some restaurants do serve these local desserts, but for value for money, I would still recommend hawker centers. This is where some of the best Singapore desserts can be found! The prices may vary depending on location, ranging from a dollar to two.

Cheng Tng : This is a herbal savory soup originated from the Cantonese which evolved into today’s Singapore dessert. The traditional Cheng Tng is made up of 6 different kind of Chinese herbs (lotus seed, red dates, dried longan, pearl barley, white fungus, ginko nuts) which are suppose to be beneficial and cooling to the body. The ingredients are cooked and boiled with rock sugar. It is served either hot or cold. These days, some ingredients have been substituted with lychee, sago, winter melon, sea coconut and colored jelly.

Ice Kacang : In literal translation, it means ice beans in Malay. This is the most popular dessert among Singaporeans. In the early days, Ice Kacang was prepared by wrapping red beans with shaved ice topped with colored syrup in the shape of ball molded with bare hands. Today, it is prepared in a bowl with many different types of ingredients such as sweet corn, red beans, diced grass jelly, green starch noodles and attap seeds, and serves in a mountain of shaved ice with 3 different colored syrup and condensed milk as toppings.

Cendol : This is another of my all time favorite Singapore dessert. A Peranakan dessert by origin with main ingredients consisting of red beans, green starch noodles served in coconut milk, gula melaka (brown sugar) and shaved ice. The fresh creamy coconut milk and gula melaka mixture gives it an exotic flavor which keeps you yearning for more with each mouthful. Yummy…but sinful.

Bubur Cha-Cha : Another extraordinary Peranakan dessert which can be served hot or cold. A tasty dessert of sweet potato, yam, tapioca jelly, yam and sago pearls cooked in thick coconut milk. Comes with shaved ice if served cold. Due to the nature of its ingredient (sweet potato, yam and creamy coconut milk), it can be rather filling. Indulge in a few bowls should be enough to call it a meal! Hey, do watch the cholesterol!

Ice Jelly / Ice Jelly Cocktail : Jelly (made from jelly powder) topped with shaved ice, lime (calamari) and a choice of cocktail fruits. It is its simplicity that makes this a delightful Singapore dessert for someone who is looking for something not too sweet and a quick cool down from the scorching heat.

Almond Jelly with longans : Another Singapore dessert with Cantonese origin. Some say it originated from Hong Kong, but there are a lot of variations from this dessert with some using diary product as toppings. The Singapore version comes without diary product but just almond pudding cubes topped with logans in syrup served in shaved ice. A cool alternative to ice jelly if you prefer.

Tau Suan : A popular dessert loved by the young and old. This is a Teochew warm dessert that can be consume at any time of the day, breakfast, snack or supper. This dessert is made from dehusked split green bean cooked in sweeten soup mixed with thickener (potato flour or chestnut flour) to give it a starchy texture. I prefer it over breakfast because I could eat it with “Yu Char Kway” (fried dough stick) which gives this dish a savory touch.

Red Bean Soup : Red bean is one of the main ingredients widely used in Singapore dessert. But, this bean itself makes a fantastic dessert alone. Red Bean Soup is nothing more than just boiling red beans in water and adding sugar to sweeten it. It is so simple that I sometime made this myself at home and I am pretty good at it. It is believed that Red Bean Soup helps blood circulation. So a must try Singapore dessert for the health conscious.

Green Bean Soup : Very similar to the Red Bean Soup, Green Bean Soup is also a common local dessert that can be easily prepared. Boil the green beans in water until they are softened and add sugar to sweeten it. Coupled with some fine sago pearls will make the chewing a great eating experience. Green Bean Soup has the health benefits of reducing body heatiness. The Red and Green Bean Soup are available in most of dessert stalls in Singapore.

Orh Nee : Cooked with yam, gingko nuts and sugar to form a creamy paste, this Singapore dessert has a Teochew influence and it is usually found in Teochew restaurants and outlets. Some dessert stalls started serving Orh Nee recently. I like it when it is served with pumpkin pieces as they help in diluting the sweetness and giving it a smoother texture.

Tau Huay : It means Soya Bean Curd in Hokkien. As the name suggests, it is a dessert made from milk extract from soya beans. Tau Huay is usually served hot with syrup and it is a favorite breakfast dessert adored by many Singaporeans.

Pulot Hitam : A dessert with Malay origin, it is a warm dessert consisting of boiled black glutinous rice topped with thick coconut milk which resembles congee, except that it is black in color. It is a sensational dessert visually appealing to many when served fresh (contrasting color of the black glutinous rice base with white coconut milk topping). The Pulot Hitam is rather sweet in nature and the coconut milk helps in toning down the sweetness.