山珍“海”味

Introduction to
Hainan Delicacies

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Hainan Chicken Rice

How much do you know about the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice popular amongst Singaporeans?

The dish is derived from the famous Hainan dish, Wenchang Chicken. Interestingly, the Hainanese Chicken Rice that we know of now is quite different from the original Wenchang Chicken.

With the evolution of Singapore's history and the fusion of cultures, Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice has a unified recipe, which include the tender soy sauce chicken, oiled chicken rice, and indispensable sauces such as chili, dark soy sauce and ginger paste, and the chicken soup!

If the start of Hainan's "Chicken Rice" is Wenchang Chicken, then the heart of Singapore’s Hainanese chicken rice is the combination of these three ingredients that creates a great taste.

Kaya Toasts & Hainanese Coffee

The term "Kopi Si" comes from the Hainanese dialect. Do you know that the "Kaya Bread" also originated from the Hainanese ethnic group in Singapore?

With it came Hainanese coffee and Singapore-style "Dad Tea" culture! Based on historical records, the earliest pioneers in Singapore to set up shops for this delicacy were Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Coffee Shop a.

Traditional Kaya Toast consists of two pieces of bread toasted, coated with rich kaya paste and a slice of butter, forming a sandwich bread.

Today, the famous Kaya Toast has evolved in many ways. After incorporating modern elements and trends, Kaya Toasts now has various fusions, such as "French Kaya Toast", " Kaya Butter Crackers”, to name but a few.

Hainan Noodle/Hainan Fen

How many other Hainan cuisines do you know of? Ever heard of "Hainan Noodles"?

Hainan Noodle is a popular snack in Hainan, made from noodles, pickled vegetables, shredded bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts. Hainan Noodle comes with an intriguing taste. Its flavour is similar to Luosifen (Snail rice noodle) due to the shared ingredient of bamboo shoots. Also, Hainan Noodle is known as an “extraordinary” unique dish because its sauce tastes like the local Lor Mee. For Hainanese, rice, rice product, and noodles are the staple food. Their daily meals are mainly rice or wheat-related products. At the same time, this al-dente noodle symbolises good luck and longevity to them. It is a must-have dish for festivals and celebratory occasions such as Baby Full Month or an elder’s birthday.

According to the Hainanese, their daily meals are mainly rice and wheat products. At the same time, this al-dente noodle symbolises good luck and longevity. This must have dish appears in celebrating new born reaching one month old and the birthdays of elders and not forgetting festivals and other celebrations.

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Storytime

The outer layer of Yi Bua is mainly made of glutinous rice and rice. The traditional filling is a mixture of shredded coconut, peanut, sesame and brown sugar. Its outer skin is coated in peanut oil to retain its chewiness and tenderness without being too sticky.

Yi Bua Kueh

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Storytime

One of the top ten snacks in Hainan, Yi Bua kueh, also known as Yi Bua, is a street food that many Hainanese call “the taste of home”.

Historically, it is also a delicacy that many Hainanese often craved when working in other places. In the rural areas of Hainan, the Yi Bua is presented in baskets as a welcome gift for new neighbours or a Full Month baby gift.

Coconut is one of the popular fruits of Hainan, and with it comes a coconut dish – Hainan Coconut Boat.

Coconut Boat

Coconut Boat, also known as Zhuliuzi Boat and Coconut Rice, originated from Qionghai, Hainan, and is a traditional folk snack in the Wenchang area.

The most interesting process of making the Coconut Boat is to pour the glutinous rice into the fresh coconut, and then cook the flavouring. When cooked, the glutinous rice boat is white and crystal clear, earning them the name "pearl". If the Coconut Boat is a rare treasure to be found in Singapore, then the traditional Coconut Boat is a needle in a haystack!

Hainanese Western Cuisine

When it comes to Hainanese food in Singapore, the "Hainanese Western Cuisine" is a cuisine that is worth the search.

When you savour the Hainanese Western Cuisine, you may probably wonder, "Does it have a Hainanese flavour?" or maybe you would think "isn't this just normal western food?".

It is called "Hainanese style" not because its tastes like the Hainan food, but because of the historical story of its chef and creator being a Hainanese. According to historical records, Hainanese were the last ethnic group to arrive in Singapore, with most of them settling and working as the domestic helpers for Westerners. It was then the Hainanese in Singapore developed good culinary skills, which they brought to the town and became the "Hainanese Western Cuisine".

Hainanese Flaky Biscuit (Hainanese Mooncake)

The Hainanese Flaky Biscuit is a traditional delicacy in Hainan with a history of hundreds of years.

It has a unique taste with rich layers. The Flaky Biscuit is sweet and fresh in the mouth, followed by a faint savoury note, and finally, a spicy peppery finish. This unique taste makes you want to come back for more. It is said that the process of making the biscuit is extremely complicated, with more than 10 kinds of ingredients just for the filling alone, and the quantity of each ingredient must be very precise.

As a result, the Hainan Flaky Biscuit has gradually become extinct and is rare on Hainan island, making the local Hainanese Flaky Biscuit a valuable cultural heritage.