Kaya toast

Kaya toast is widely known as a traditional Singaporean breakfast item.[1] It is also a well-known snack in Singapore and Malaysia and can be eaten during breakfast or as a afternoon snack.[2] This dish was invented by Hainan immigrants to the Malay peninsula.[3] Malaysians and Singaporeans often consume this food with a cup of tea or coffee, which has merited the snack's inclusion in many coffee houses.[4][5] Singaporean companies such as Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Kopitiam are franchises which have proliferated serving this popular snack.[4]

Kaya toast
Kaya toast with coffee
CourseStaple food
Place of originBritish Malaya
Region or stateSoutheast Asia
Associated national cuisineSingapore
Malaysia
Created byHainan immigrants
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientskaya (coconut jam)
A Ya Kun Kaya Toast restaurant

Kaya toast is commonly prepared with kaya (coconut jam),[6] made from a topping of sugar, coconut milk and eggs, pandan, and sometimes margarine or butter. Kaya is generally served on toast, and also sometimes on crackers.[7] It is considered a breakfast staple, and remains popular in Singapore.[4] The dish is sometimes dipped into soft-boiled egg with a little dark soy sauce and white pepper.[5][8]

Origin

Kaya toast is believed to have been invented by Hainan immigrants to the Malay peninsula working on British ships.[9][10] The dish was believed to have been adapted from toast served by the Hainanese when they were working as cooks for the British. Fruit jams that were served with toast was replaced with kaya, a jam local to Southeast Asia, as fruit jams were considered exotic and expensive by the local population during colonial rule.[11] The dish was known to be served since 1919 in Singapore, with the founding of Kheng Hoe Heng (now known as Killiney Kopitiam) by a Hainanese immigrant and with the founding of Ya Kun Coffeestall (now known as Ya Kun Kaya Toast) in 1944.[12][13]

Variations

The dish is traditionally made from toasting two slices of bread on a charcoal grill, until there is visible browning to the toast. Kaya is then evenly spread on one side of the toast and slices of cold butter would be placed in the toast before serving. It is usually paired with teh (tea) or kopi (coffee) and a side of two runny soft-boiled eggs, paired with dark soya sauce and white pepper.[13][14]

Variations of the dish includes using thick or thin slices of toast[10], using french toast instead of traditional bread, adding peanut butter or cheese together with the kaya.[14]

Further reading
  • Lynch. Rene (July 22, 2009). "Sending out an SOS for the Kaya Toast at Susan Feniger's Street". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
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References
  1. "A toast to Singapore's traditional breakfast". National Geographic. April 5, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. "Kaya toast". The Hindu. March 10, 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  3. Smss2e2 (2012-07-12). "Food History of Singapore: Kaya Toast". Food History of Singapore. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  4. "Where to find the best kaya toast in Singapore". CNN. September 20, 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  5. "Kaya Toast". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  6. Sistar's Dasom and 4Minute's Hyuna like Singapore's kaya toast | Singapore Showbiz - Yahoo Entertainment Singapore
  7. "Kaya toast". The Hindu. March 10, 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  8. "Kaya Toast". VisitSingapore.com. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  9. "Kaya Toast". TasteAtlas. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  10. "Breakfast quest in Singapore: Looking for history on toast". The Chicago Tribune. April 20, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. "SINGAPORE FOOD SERIES: KAYA TOAST". Visitors Singapore. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  12. Tan Yi Hui, "Toast to sweet success", The Straits Times, 9 March 2009.
  13. "Kaya Toast, Breakfast in Singapore". Visit Singapore Official Site. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  14. "Toast of the city-state: Kaya toast". The Hindu. December 14, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2020.


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