Pandan Marble Cake

For a new twist on a familiar cake recipe, swirl Vanilla and Asian Vanilla together for a Green & Gold Pandan Vanilla Marble Cake.  The rich, green pandan leaves (Asian Vanilla) impart a distinctly warm, nutty, sweet, vanilla-like aroma to complement the golden swirls of traditional vanilla.

A marble cake for the ultimate vanilla fan.

Buko Pandan Salad Drink (a Filipino dessert) by Ray Gingco of Wok with Ray

The most vibrant culture in Southeast Asia?  One glance at the bright, colorful images on Wok with Ray – and the excitement and enthusiasm of every story – and you’ll know the answer must be the Philippines. 

Ray Gingco, the energetic foodie behind Wok with Ray, is now living in California, but the distance from his homeland has only fed his passion to cook and share his favorite dishes from the Philippines. 

As part of our ongoing series of exploring Southeast Asian spices and cultures, we welcome Ray – our representative of the Philippines on the New Spice Route – to share a rich, coconut dessert recipe that glows green from pandan leaves.

Spices Unearthed: Pandan Leaves (Screwpine)

Spices are not only about adding flavor and improving health – they have the power to transform the color of a dish.  Turmeric for yellow, paprika for red, butterfly-pea flowers for blue, and Pandan Leaves for Green. 

What food would you dye green?  A cake, of course. 

A common sight in bakeries and morning markets in many Southeast Asian countries is a light-green colored chiffon cake.  The cake has been naturally dyed green by fresh pandan leaves that have been pounded or blended into a rich, green paste.

Pad Thai - A Fusion of Thai and Chinese Cuisines

What’s the secret to many of those steamy, spicy, tantalizing, iconic street foods of Southeast Asia?

Lots of salt and oil.  Yes, that’s true.  But probably not a secret, especially if you have ever watched a hawker with a bottle of palm oil in one hand, cooking over a wok at a roadside stall.

The real secret is that many of the iconic dishes we associate with a specific Southeast Asian country are actually fusion dishes.  China, India, the Middle East, Europe – they have all played a significant role in influencing, and often transforming, the cuisines of the region.

Take for example, the famous stir-fried noodle dish of Thailand – Pad Thai.

Southeast Asian Tamarind Dipping Sauce

No matter how simple the meal in Southeast Asia, there will always be a little something on the side for that extra flavor.  A sweet chili sauce or a spicy sambal for dipping fish or chicken; a tiny dish of black vinegar with strips of fresh ginger for dipping fried wontons; or a Tamarind Dipping Sauce for fried spring rolls.

Tamarind-Glazed Roast Chicken

Put aside that thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, and lemon, and experiment with a new mix of spices & herbs for your roast chicken dinner.  Just start with the tanginess of tamarind, and go tropical…

Spices Unearthed: Tamarind

You can follow the path of any spice by its use in local dishes.  But for tamarind, it’s as easy as following the 50 foot tree it grows on.

That’s because the tamarind tree, indigenous to Africa, is found in warm climates all over the world.  And it doesn’t travel this much unless it’s carrying something special.