Food preservation includes processes that make food more resistant to microorganism growth and slow the oxidation of fats. This slows down the decomposition and rancidification process. Food preservation may also include processes that inhibit visual deterioration,such as the enzymatic browning reaction in apples after they are cut during food preparation. By preserving food,food waste can be reduced,which is an important way to decrease production costs and increase the efficiency of food systems,improve food security and nutrition and contribute towards environmental sustainability. For instance,it can reduce the environmental impact of food production.
Food drying is a method of food preservation in which food is dried. Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria,yeasts,and mold through the removal of water. Dehydration has been used widely for this purpose since ancient times;the earliest known practice is 12,000 B.C. by inhabitants of the modern Middle East and Asia regions. Water is traditionally removed through evaporation by using methods such as air drying,sun drying,smoking or wind drying,although today electric food dehydrators or freeze-drying can be used to speed the drying process and ensure more consistent results.
Salami is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat,typically pork. Historically,salami was popular among Southern,Eastern,and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days once cut,supplementing a potentially meager or inconsistent supply of fresh meat. Countries and regions across Europe make their own traditional varieties of salami.
Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia,and reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups:Malays,Chinese and Indians. The remainder consists of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia,the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia,the Peranakan and Eurasian creole communities,as well as a significant number of foreign workers and expatriates.
Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia,residing in modern-day Malaysia,Indonesia,Singapore,Brunei,Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands,Christmas Island,Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Kuih are bite-sized snack or dessert foods commonly found in Southeast Asia and China. It is a fairly broad term which may include items that would be called cakes,cookies,dumplings,pudding,biscuits,or pastries in English and are usually made from rice or glutinous rice. In China,where the term originates from,kueh or koé (粿) in the Min Nan languages refers to snacks which are typically made from rice but can occasionally be made from other grains such as wheat. The term kuih is widely used in Malaysia,Brunei,and Singapore,kueh is used in Singapore and Indonesia,kue is used in Indonesia only,all three refer to sweet or savoury desserts.
Singaporean cuisine is derived from several ethnic groups in Singapore and has developed through centuries of political,economic,and social changes in the cosmopolitan city-state.
Chinese Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Chinese with local Indonesian style. Chinese Indonesians,mostly descendant of Han ethnic Hokkien and Hakka speakers,brought their legacy of Chinese cuisine,and modified some of the dishes with the addition of Indonesian ingredients,such as kecap manis,palm sugar,peanut sauce,chili,santan and local spices to form a hybrid Chinese-Indonesian cuisine. Some of the dishes and cakes share the same style as in Malaysia and Singapore,known as Nyonya cuisine by the Peranakan.
Meat floss,also known as pork or yuk sung,is a dried meat product with a light and fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton,originating from China.
Tangyuan are a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice shaped into balls that are served in a hot broth or syrup. They come in varying sizes,anything between a marble to a ping pong ball,and are sometimes stuffed with filling. Tangyuan are traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival,but because the name is a homophone for union and symbolizes togetherness and completeness,this dish is also served at weddings,family reunions,Chinese New Year,and the Dōngzhìfestival.
Bee Cheng Hiang is a Singaporean company that produces Chinese-style foodstuffs,especially that of Singaporean cuisine. Starting as a market stall in 1933 in Singapore,the company has expanded its operations beyond Singapore to more than 370 retail outlets located in 72 cities,across 13 territories —Mainland China,Hong Kong,Macau,Taiwan,South Korea,Indonesia,Malaysia,Japan,Vietnam,and the Philippines.
Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers.
Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans,descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang,Malacca,Singapore and Indonesia,inter-marrying with local Malays. In Baba Malay,a female Peranakan is known as a nonya,and a male Peranakan is known as a baba. The cuisine combines Chinese,Malay,Javanese,South Indian,and other influences.
Klepon or kelepon,also known outside Java as onde-onde,is a snack of sweet rice cake balls filled with molten palm sugar and coated in grated coconut. Of Javanese origin,the green-coloured glutinous rice balls are one of the popular traditional kue in Indonesian cuisine.
Tofu is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness:silken,soft,firm,extra firm. Tofu is also known as bean curd in English. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines,and has been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern Western cooking,it is most often treated as a meat substitute.
Dendeng refers to thinly sliced dried meat in Indonesian cuisine. It is preserved through a mixture of sugar and spices and dried via a frying process. It is similar to jerky. Dendeng is traditionally produced by using some spices and sugar at various levels. Therefore its flavour is sweet and spicy,and it is stable for several weeks at room temperature.
Teochew porridge is a Teochew rice porridge dish often accompanied with various small plates of side dishes. Teochew porridge is served as a banquet of meats,fish egg,and vegetables that is eaten with plain rice porridge. It may be simply prepared plain,or include sweet potatoes. The rice grains,while softened from cooking,are still whole and not in an overly starchy state. Because the porridge is served plain,it is suitable to accompany salty side dishes. The recipe originated in Chaozhou and was later modified by early immigrants prepared in Malaysia and Singapore over the generations to suit local tastes.
Intermediate moisture foods (IMF) are shelf-stable products that have water activities of 0.6-0.84,with a moisture content ranging from 15% - 40% and are edible without rehydration. These food products are below the minimum water activity for most bacteria (0.90),but are susceptible to yeast and mold growth. Historically,ancient civilizations would produce IMF using methods such as sun drying,roasting over fire and adding salt to preserve food for winter months or when preparing for travel. Currently,this form of processing is achieved by using one of four methods:partial drying,osmotic drying using a humectant,dry infusion and by formulation. A variety of products are classified as IMF,such as dried fruits,sugar added commodities,marshmallows,and pie fillings.
Different kinds of bakkwa on display,Hong Kong
Bakkwa at a Bee Cheng Hiang shop in Singapore
