Taste Of Home: 4 Local Food Artisans To Look Out For
In The Roar
As the first-ever fully-fledged micro-distillery on our island, Brass Lion Distillery (@brassliondistillery) takes great pride in celebrating local heritage and native ingredients through its singular craft spirits. Drawing on Singapore’s role in the flourishing spice trade of the 19th century, the Alexandra-based operation uses Southeast Asian botanicals obtained from nearby TCM shops and wet markets, including torch ginger flowers, kaffir lime leaves, pomelo peel and galangal, to infuse three artisanal gins: citrusy Singapore Dry, floral Butterfly Pea, and spiced Pink Pahit.
Recently, in an effort to aid local communities impacted by the pandemic, the Brass Lion Distillery also teamed up with several bars to bottle ready-to-drink cocktails, such as a Lavender Negroni and Merlion Spritz, all profits of which go back to its partners, on top of making its own hand sanitiser from the by-products of distillation for donation and sale.
Jam Packed
It’s said that inspiration can come from anywhere, and that’s certainly true of homegrown brand Straits Preserves (@straitspreserves). Founder Sharon Lee stumbled across the art of marmalade making while searching for ways to use up a bumper harvest of calamansi limes from her balcony garden, and the rest, so it goes, is history.
Now a multiple award-winning label, Straits Preserves fuses tropical fruits and spices with local flavours to create one-of-a-kind confitures like Ginger Garden, a piquant mix of ginger, turmeric and grapefruit; Singapore Sling, a non-alcoholic version of the titular cocktail with notes of cherry and orange; and Pineapple Tart, a riff on the beloved festive snack.
And because there’s no combination quite as classic as PB&J, the brand has introduced the new Peaconut Butter, which puts a moreish twist on that staple spread with roasted peanuts, rich coconut, and organic gula melaka.
Bar None
Sweet dreams are no doubt made of the treats by Fossa Chocolate (@fossachocolate). Known and loved for its exceptional confections and unusual flavours, which tap on local favourites like salted egg cereal prawns and satay, the brand started out seven years ago as a passion project, but has since morphed into a bean-to-bar company dedicated to crafting small-batch fine chocolate from ethically- and sustainably-sourced cacao beans.
Over the past few months, Fossa Chocolate has helped to keep spirits high with its care packages, which not only feature its latest creations (we like the sound of chrysanthemum tea milk chocolate), but also curated offerings from fellow homegrown labels, such as essential oil sprays by Hush Candle, granola by Amazin’ Graze, and Nodspark’s nail wraps. Chocolate with a side of people helping people? You can’t ask for more.
Tea Off
Nasi lemak, orh nee, and ice kacang are not words you would usually associate with tea, but as far as Ette Tea (@ettetea) is concerned, it seems nothing is beyond imagination. The brainchild of former SIA steward Victor Koh, the brand focuses on blends with a Southeast Asian slant, balancing single origin teas and tisanes with unexpected ingredients (dried chili, lotus stamen and silver dust, anyone?) for a wholly original take on local and regional fare, including the aforementioned three dishes, chicken rice, bak kwa, pandan chiffon cake, mango sticky rice and more.
Animal lovers need not worry, either, as the “meaty” taste of such concoctions comes from the natural amino acids present in tea leaves. Building on the success of previous releases, not long ago Ette launched two new dessert-inspired flavours, Chocolate Gâteau and Strawberry Ispahan, along with two therapeutic herbal blends aimed at fortifying the body’s defences, the aptly-named Immunitea and Halia Citron.
