The inclusion of Kaya toast in a recent ranking of the best sandwiches of the world by Croatia-based food encyclopaedia TasteAtlas has led to light-hearted protestations from netizens in Malaysia over its origins as Singapore got the credit.
On 11 March 2024, TasteAtlas published its ‘Top 100 Sandwiches in the World’ list in which it placed the humble but delicious Kaya toast in the 42nd position with a rating of 4.2 out of the maximum 5.
The list was topped by Vietnam’s sandwich Bánh mì, with a rating of 4.6.
Kaya toast and what led to the Malaysia-Singapore origin debate
The Kaya toast is described on the TasteAtlas website as “a popular Malaysian and Singaporean breakfast.” But the encyclopaedia attributed the dish only to Singapore in its list of the world’s best sandwiches released in March 2024. This is what has led to the online outpouring of protests by Malaysians.
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According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Malaysian Internet users perceived it as a snub. Many voiced their displeasure on social media, while also referring to incidents such as the exclusive Taylor Swift concert deal with Singapore, the weaker Malaysian currency, and the popular Malaysian dish bak kut teh.
“Taylor Swift has been stolen, Hainanese chicken rice has been stolen, bak kut teh has been stolen. Now even kaya toast [42] has been stolen [from us],” wrote one user on Facebook, according to SCMP.
Reactions to TasteAtlas’ mention of only attributing Singapore for Kaya toast also include memes such as one depicting the city state as a masked thief stealing the sandwich from Malaysia and another involving the character Fry from the animated series Futurama.
What is the Kaya toast?
According to TasteAtlas, Kaya toast is believed to have originated with Hainanese people who worked on British ships as cooks. They settled in Singapore, where residents “replaced the British jams with local coconut spreads.”
The “kaya” in the name refers to a traditional spread made with sugar, eggs, coconut milk, and pandan flavouring, notes TasteAtlas. The kaya is placed between two slices of toasted bread, which is then served with a slice of butter and two semi-boiled eggs on the side. It is usually eaten for breakfast with a cup of milk tea or hot coffee.
Singapore’s National Library Board (NLM) says that the sandwich has variations across Southeast Asia.
“In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is known as serikaya. In Thailand, kaya is known as sangkhaya, and an eggless version of the spread is known as matamís sa bao in the Philippines,” reads a description of the food on NLM’s site.
It also says that apart from the Hainanese-origin theory, there are other accounts which suggest that Kaya toast is “a Eurasian jam unique to Singapore and Malaysia, and was originally adapted from a Portuguese egg jam” or comes from a “Portuguese dessert, sericaia.”
The top 10 best sandwiches in the world
The following 10 occupied the top spots among the 100 best sandwiches of the world according to TasteAtlas.
- Bánh mì – Vietnam
- Tombik Döner – Türkiye
- Shawarma – Lebanon
- Tortas – Puebla de Zaragoza, Mexico
- Lobster Roll – Maine, the US
- Sandwich de lomo – Córdoba Province, Argentina
- Montreal smoked meat – Montreal, Canada
- Mozzarella in carrozza – Campania, Italy
- Meat and Cold Cuts Bánh Mì (Bánh mì thịt) – Vietnam
- Texas Brisket Sandwich – Texas, the US
Among the most prominent dishes from the Asian countries in the list were Vada pav from Mumbai, India, and Pork chop bun from Macau, China, at the 19th and 26th place, respectively.
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(Hero and Featured images: Pinklily08/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
