Singapore’s Iconic Sambal Paste Makes It To The New York Times Singapore is well-known for its rich and flavourful food culture. Ask foodies and they will tell you that food is so good here because of all the chilli we use. And no dish relies on good chilli as sambal. Ahh, sambal. That fiery, hate-it-or-love-it red paste that makes other cuisines appear bland and lifeless. We’ve known and loved it for years – and now The New York Times has picked up on its goodness. All thanks to an article contributed by a writer named Natalie Pattillo, who grew up in Singapore. Home and hardship Source Ms Pattillo’s touching childhood account tells of her early relationship with Southeast Asian dishes like sambal. The article begins with Ms Pattillo reminiscing about her mother making the dish from scratch. The elder Ms Pattillo had learnt to make sambal while growing up in a Malay kampung in Singapore. She insisted on doing it the old-fashioned way — by grinding chillies in a mortar and pestle. These chillis would then be fried. Fond memories of the heat Even with the windows opened wide, the fumes from the “sizzling capsaicin” caused “coughing fits” for her family. Ms Pattillo added […]
6 years ago
