A Nonya on Yellow Mountain
What’s a nonya to do when nobody seems to know what a nonya is?
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A Nonya’s Beauty Rituals
Have a bird’s nest facial at the only Peranakan spa in the world.
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Let’s Spit to That!
Chewing betel leaf and areca nut spells romance for some
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Turmeric to the Rescue
The price of turmeric is rising as its health benefits become better known around the world.
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Feeling the Tremors
A collection of short stories written after the Kobe earthquake helped me feel some solidarity with the Japanese in the wake of last week’s earthquake and tsunami.
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The Merlion and My Brief Identity Crisis
National dress does have a place in the designer world.
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Peranakans in Paris
Babas and nyonyas everywhere should throw a tok panjang feast to celebrate their debut in the capital of fashion.
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Bean Good
Originally from Papua New Guinea, this bean finds fans who like it hot.
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A Sour Search
Belimbing is not just a Peranakan favourite. It finds its way into Indian pickles and Filipino stews too.
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Cancer and the Queen
Jasmine has long been known as an aphrodisiac. Now a compound from the flower is helping to fight cancer.
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Hammered on Huangshan, Cooked in Kochi
What makes a spa a spa? Strictly speaking, a spa has to have a thermal spring nearby which has healing properties. Or at least use products that are made with thermal spring water. These days anyone who employs a handful of masseuses and a shelf of essential oils will claim they run a spa. This is the first in a series of posts about my spa trek all over Asia.
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Romancing the Whale
Ambergris, or grey amber. Which other perfume ingredient has been celebrated in a classic novel about the struggle between Man and Nature? As the battle rages on at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Morocco, the fate of the source of ambergris hangs in the balance.
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Holy Smoke and Good Oudh
Frankincense and myrrh for Catholics and Christians. Oudh and sandalwood for Buddhists and Muslims. Scents from wood and tree resins are a part of religious practices everywhere.
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What does Singapore smell of?
Perfumers around the world laud China's osmanthus but why has no one captured the scent of Singapore's tembusu?
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Scent of a Pontianak
This floral note has been described as Thanatos (Death) meets Eros (Love) and for good reason. Tuberose has a scent which is difficult to tame.
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